The Google modular Ara smartphone is coming! ...To Puerto Rico?
I bet you were excited at the first half of the title, with the second half feeling something like the love of your life telling you that she's marrying your best friend Jack. Google has announced their limited market pilot release of the much anticipated modular Ara smartphone and it's going to be the small United States island territory of Puerto Rico.
When asked if the Ara launch will be coming to the rest of the globe soon, or at all, Google's ATAP director Regina Dugan simply stated "we don't know the answer to that question."
I'm sorry if I got you all a little too excited. There's no current plan set in place for a global release and it's still possible that it won't happen at all. In more lighthearted news however, Google are planning to convert some Puerto Rican food trucks into mobile stores, driving them around the country and providing live demos for all to see - where do I sign up?
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Rumors surface that Samsung has offered to buy BlackBerry
Reports have surfaced stating that Samsung have offered to buy BlackBerry for a pretty $7.5 billion US, although both companies deny talks taking place. Released by Reuters on Wednesday, their account of proceedings states that Samsung was looking toward this buyout in order to gather valuable BlackBerry patents during its never-ending battle with Apple.
It has been noted that shares in BlackBerry skyrocketed after the original Reuters report by up to 30 percent, eventually falling back 15 percent following the denial from the company themselves.
There have been other talks that BlackBerry has denied a few different takeover proposals in the last few months, with their board and largest investor believing that their restructuring strategy will deliver greater shareholder value than the acquisition proposals on offer.
Let's just say that BlackBerry was purchased by Samsung - what do you think would change?
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JPMorgan Chase asked to turn over data regarding cybersecurity hack
Numerous states are now investigating a major data breach suffered by JPMorgan Chase in 2014, asking the company to turn over details regarding its security practices. Customer records that included names, addresses and phone numbers of up to 83 million members were stolen, though account numbers, passwords and Social Security numbers weren't impacted.
States also asked if the bank received reports of fraud, and a description of its past and current security protections.
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Samsung Tizen is finally here, in the form of the Z1 and it's only $92
After teasing their first high-end Tizen model in early 2013, then last year announcing a mid-range model for the Russian market and not delivering, the Tizen seemed like it was never going to surface. Media outlets were claiming that Samsung's OS may be kept solely for smartwatches and TVs while Samsung wasted their years away announcing and not releasing phones using their long-awaited Tizen platform.
To back up their mediocre specifications, Samsung claim that the phone has a fast boot time, excellent web performance and great battery efficiency, further calming that this is due to their "lightweight Tizen platform." To help the phone move units, they've also including a bunch of entertainment content, giving their local market free music streaming and Bollywood movies.
Free stuff is pretty cool, but can it stand up to Google's Android One platform? Reports claim that this platform is set at a similar price within the market and offers well over 1 million applications currently on the Play Store. We've seen the same issues with Windows OS phones in the past - sure they might work well, but do you want the possibility of having access to a majorly limited amount of applications?
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Microsoft push new Xbox One update including new game hubs and more
Rolling out to Xbox One preview members today, Microsoft has finished work on a brand new update for their champion console. With regular users to receive this in February, there have been some new features listed and improvements made.
As for the TV component, Microsoft have added a OneGuide rollout for the Netherlands, added support for new AV receivers and set-top boxes and have also added Live TV trending for France, Germany, Brazil and Mexico. This Live TV streaming service will also be supported on Windows Phones and Android for Xbox One Digital TV tuner customers in France, the UK, Germany Italy and Spain.
Currently the Windows Phone OS and Windows 8 both do not support Live Tile transparency, however Microsoft is adding the option into Xbox One next month. Listed as part of their custom background feature, consumers will be able to see more of the picture they use as a wallpaper on their dashboard.
Once again, if you want this update early - become an Xbox One preview member. Otherwise expect it to hit your console next month - here's hoping the patch isn't too massive.
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An Xbox One and a PlaySatation 4 in one laptop shell has been made
First we covered the Xbook Duo, which placed a non-backwards compatible Xbox One and an Xbox 360 into a single package - now we've got the Playbox. Developed by the same modder, he's thrown a PS4 and an Xbox One into the same shell - confusing and worrying elitists worldwide.
Both consoles are powered by a single cord, however they don't function at the same time due to overheating constraints. You can flick an easy-to-reach switch on the back to help change from one console to another at your will.
We've seen things like the cool G-155 carry case developed previously, set to give your console the ultimate portability. However these inventions by Eddie just can't be beaten by the older technology in my mind.
You can order this prototype for custom order, alongside the Xbook One (Xbox One shell) is for sale at $1,500 and the Playbook 4 (PS4 shell) will set you back $1,400 - discounts apply if you supply your own console.
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Cybercriminals will follow users to Apple Pay, other mobile systems
Apple Pay is helping lead a mobile payment revolution, with consumers and retailers seeing a wider number of payment options at checkout. Mobile security is expected to reach upwards of $11 billion in 2015 alone, industry analysts forecast, and trying to keep mobile payment platforms will need special attention.
"It's very easy to predict that as the adoption of mobile payment systems like Apple Pay increases, that attacks will grow to follow that," said Chris Doggett, North American managing director at Kaspersky Lab, in an interview with the Washington Post. "It's like that famous saying, 'Why do you rob banks? Because that's where the money is.' If Apple Pay becomes a big, pervasive system for payments, you can be sure that the criminals are going to be right behind, figuring out how to breach Apple's security and how to steal money."
Cybercriminals are becoming rather clever in different methods to steal data and compromise users, and mobile payments could become a headache for users. Smartphone manufacturers, mobile payment companies, and banks will need to work together to deploy secure mobile payment offerings.
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Behold the fridge PC - LANs are thirsty work, why not make life easy?
You've just wrapped up smashing your brothers Counter-Strike team 16-5 again, naturally you top-scored and he's off crying in the corner. What better way to celebrate then an ice-cold energy drink to gulp down and keep yourself fueled for the next 16 hours of rage-filled gaming?
Not only did this water-cooled fridge PC give Karma the ability to keep his temps crazily low, it "never missed a beat" according to the man himself - even though condensation is an obvious major issue. This custom-loop setup saw his Intel Core i7-3930k run at a stable 5.25GHz without exceeding 19 degrees under load, alongside his ASUS Matrix Platinum GTX580 GPU sitting at 20 degrees maximum when overclocked to a 1400 MHz core.
As for the full specifications, they are as follows:
Chassis: 210L bar fridge with a 3hp compressor - capable of running @ 0 degrees
PSU: Silverstone 1200w Strider Gold
MOBO: ASUS Rampage IV Extreme
CPU: Intel Core i7-3930k
RAM: 16gb of 2133mhz DDR3 Corsair Dominator GT
SSD: 2x Corsair Force GT 120GB in Raid 0
GFX: ASUS Matrix Platinum GTX580
So I bet you're wondering about condensation right about now. To combat any water issues he might face, Karma lacquered (painted in sealant) the motherboard, video card, RAM and more - ensuring that there was total protection from anything wishing to get in. In our time talking, he mentioned that "there was water everywhere, but it cant short if it's sealed."
We hope you've enjoyed yet another modded system here at TweakTown - we'll be covering one almost daily, so keep on coming back for more action.
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Virtual traffic lights could help make your commute more pleasant
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University claim they can cut urban commute times up to 40 percent using virtual traffic lights instead of physical traffic lights.
"With this technology, traffic lights will be created on demand when [two cars] are trying to cross this intersection, and they will be turned down as soon as we don't need it," said Ozan Tonguz, professor at Carnegie Mellon University. "It's almost like we are giving additional life to people. Life that is wasted on the road."
Along with cutting down commute times, using virtual traffic lights could help slash carbon emissions and lower traffic accidents.
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Report: Employees pose biggest IT cybersecurity threat to companies
Even with cybercriminals using sophisticated attack methods to compromise companies, business leaders must deal with employees recklessly clicking links and installing unknown software, according to the "2015 State of the Endpoint" study.
"Respondents in this year's study have shifted their thinking and are now also attributing endpoint risk to human behavior in addition to particular device vulnerabilities," said Chris Merritt, director of solution marketing at Lumension. "This is a significant cultural shift to note because it illustrates how IT is starting to look at cybersecurity holistically. In addition to technology solutions, in 2015 IT must also take into account company policies and control processes, user awareness and overall employee education."
Using social engineering attacks, cybercriminals are able to circumvent security protocols and have employees click on fraudulent links, install malware, and turn over login credentials.
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bitcoin values plunge below $250, as investors worry over value crash
Bitcoin values dropped below $200 on Wednesday for the first time since late 2013, as investors and supporters worry about the volatile cryptocurrency. In the first two weeks of 2015, bitcoins lost 40 percent of their value - sliding from $320 on Jan. 1 down to $185 on Jan. 14.
Bitcoins cost $600 each in June 2014, but prices have declined consistently since then, even with more retailers adopting bitcoin payments.
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New Nintendo 3DS XL hits US, European store shelves on February 13
The Nintendo New 3DS XL will finally be released in the United States on February 13 with a $200 price tag, and includes a number of hardware improvements for gamers. The new gaming unit has better face-tracking 3D, a more powerful processor, additional shoulder buttons, built-in NFC and a second analog mini-stick for gamers.
Unfortunately, Nintendo isn't releasing the New Nintendo 3DS in the United States, despite it launching in Japan and Australia.
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ShotSpotter technology help identify and locate gunshots in cities
ShotSpotter technology is being used in areas with high levels of crime and gun violence, which helps law enforcement respond faster to gun shots. Using microphones located around "problem areas" of cities, the ShotSpotter system is able to provide instant locations of gunshots within 10 feet.
"It helps us catching guys and it helps us with officer safety," said Orlando Cuevas, Camden County police chief, in a statement to CBS News. "Now these officers are not traveling blindly into an area where a gunshot is."
The system continues to evolve based on feedback from first responders and police dispatchers - the system can now more accurately identify gunshots, what type of weapon was fired, and how many times. Just a few years ago, the ShotSpotter system couldn't accurately identify firecrackers compared to gunshots on July 4 - and police in Oakland, California were dispatched to false alarms.
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DoJ applauds Facebook for rolling out Amber Alerts to news feeds
Facebook and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children have teamed up to bring Amber Alert messages to the No. 1 social networking website. The new alert system will post images to users in the same geographic targeted area, with users unable to opt out of the alerts - though they can be deleted.
Amber Alerts were created as a method for law enforcement, wireless carriers, transportation agencies and broadcasters to share data on missing children.
Not surprisingly, US officials are happy with Facebook's decision to introduce Amber Alerts: "I commend Facebook for taking this bold and important step to expand the reach of the critically important Amber Alerts," said Congressman Chaka Fattah (D - PA).
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Google steps up autonomous effort by partnering with auto suppliers
Google is looking for partners in the auto industry to lend a hand with self-driving and fully autonomous vehicle technology. Potential partners range from General Motors and Ford to Toyota, Volkswagen and Daimler, as fully autonomous vehicles could be production-ready in less than five years. The Silicon Valley tech giant already is working with LG Electronics, Continental AG and Robert Bosch, with its self-driving prototype cars also using NVIDIA hardware.
It's possible a lack of government regulations regarding self-driving cars could push back mass production until 2022 or 2023, but companies want to make sure they are on top of the technology.
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Toshiba MG04 Enterprise 5TB HDD Review
Introduction
The 7,200-RPM MG04 series is available in 6Gb/s SAS and SATA models (MGO4SCA and MG04ACA, respectively), and is designed to satisfy workload requirements for cloud applications, mid-tier servers, and high-capacity data center storage systems. Other manufacturers are already offering 6TB products, and Toshiba has a second-generation MG04 coming in Q1 2015 that will bring them up to speed with their own 6TB product. The MG04 refresh will also add a 12Gb/s connection.
The MG04 series offers 512e and 4K Native (4Kn) models, and our sample marks the first HDD with the 4Kn format in our lab. 4Kn HDDs first debuted in April of 2014, and are already spreading into the datacenter. The 4Kn format is required to address several challenges that have cropped up as HDD density has increased. 4k sector size increases format efficiency, and thus density, by requiring less space for redundant header areas. 512-byte sectors have also become physically smaller as drive capacity increases, which causes media defects of the same size to incur damage to a larger amount of data. This increases ECC requirements. 4K sectors ease error correction requirements for media defects, and also expand error correction capability by providing more room for ECC data.
The industry has already largely moved to physical 4K sectors with Advanced Format 512e drives. These drives expose themselves to the host as logical 512-byte sectors, but an internal emulation layer translates the data to the physical 4K sectors. This emulation layer can introduce a read-write-modify process when writing data, which negatively affects performance.
The 4Kn format exposes the sectors to the host logically, and physically, at its actual 4K size. This removes the translation layer, and provides performance benefits for files 4K and larger, but 512e drives still hold an advantage for smaller file sizes. Not all applications and operating systems have 100% compatibility with 4Kn drives as of yet, but compatibility is expanding as the industry bows to the inevitability of the 4Kn format. We caution readers to assure their OS, applications, and hardware are 4Kn compatible before deploying 4Kn HDDs.
The nature of the 4Kn format will provide performance advantages over the 512e Seagate and HGST HDDs in our test pool. Format and capacity variations require consideration during performance and power consumption analyses. Let's get the MG04SCA500A on the bench for our first look at a 4Kn HDD.
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