IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 2/19/2015

IDC: Xiaomi took over as smartphone leader in China
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi now controls 12.5 percent of its home market, ahead of Samsung's 12.1 percent share, according to the IDC research group. Xiaomi has seen smartphone sales increase 227 percent year-over-year, selling more than 61 million units in 2014.

However, Xiaomi continues to grow, while Samsung actually lost more than six percent in the competitive Chinese market - and analysts want to see how much higher Xiaomi can climb.

During Q4 of 2014, there were 107.5 million smartphones shipped to Chinese consumers, a 2 percent quarter-on-quarter growth, according to IDC.

Apple, Samsung, and other foreign manufacturers see China as an appealing market with a growing number of smartphone owners. Trying to compete against Xiaomi, which is packing hardware in more affordable product offerings, however, will prove to be extremely difficult.


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Government: Japan endured 25 billion cyberattacks in 2014 alone
Japanese infrastructure endured 25.6 billion cyberattacks in 2014 alone, with 40 percent reportedly traced back to Chinese sources, according to Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT).

It wouldn't be surprising to hear Japan faced a large number of cyberattacks tied to China, especially with political turbulence between Tokyo and Beijing. There were a number of attacks originating from the United States, South Korea and Russia - as cybersecurity efforts continue to grow.

When the survey was first conducted, in 2005, there were just 310 million cyberattacks detected by the Japanese government. The latest NICT report discovered a growing number of attacks aimed at compromising home and business routers, IoT-enabled systems, networks, and security cameras.

Much like other foreign governments, the Japanese government has called for increased efforts to protect its networks from foreign-based cyberattacks.


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Fractal Design announces new Dynamic and Silent Series case fans
An often-overlooked addition to any enthusiasts' build - high quality fans can help increase your airflow and cooling alongside removing any later issues to do with cheap OEM models falling apart, breaking or stopping.

Fractal design has recently issued a press statement, announcing its release of the new Silent Series R3 and Dynamic Series case fans - both featuring high quality components and sizes up to 140mm.

The Silent Series R3 contains rifle bearings, providing you with an improved life expectancy and a quieter experience. These models will be released in sizes ranging from 40mm to 140mm and are fitted with black ribbon cables, helping with cable management.

As for the Dynamic Series, these fans are running hydraulic bearings - which are described by Fractal Design as "a cost-efficient compromise between a standard sleeve bearing and a true FDB bearing." These fans will be released in 120mm and 140mm sizing options, alongside offering "strategically placed notches near the fan hub on the trailing edge of the blades, further reducing and diffusing humming noise produced when the blades pass the stator struts."

These new releases will be available in stores as of April 2015.


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LG rumored to unveil its G4 flagship smartphone in April
It might be Samsung making the biggest splash online right now with the rumors of its forthcoming Galaxy S6 smartphone, but the G4 from LG is reportedly coming a little later, in April.

The new G4 smartphone is expected to truly stand out from the competition, even in the aftermath that will be the Galaxy S6 launch. LG is looking to make a big deal of the new smartphone, with the G4 ready to differentiate itself from the likes of the iPhone, Galaxy S6, and the new One M9 from HTC.

We've already seen LG tease its new G Flex 2 smartphone at CES earlier this year, which sports Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 processor, 3GB of RAM and a curved display.


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ASRock unveils its new USB 3.1-based motherboards and USB 3.1 cards
ASRock has jumped out ahead of Computex 2015 in June, announcing some new USB 3.1-capable motherboards and PCIe cards. The company has announced that it will have a range of USB 3.1 products, including USB 3.1 PCIe cards that will either have two Type-A ports, or a combination of Type-A and Type-C.

Starting off with the motherboards, we have the Z97 Extreme6/3.1 and the X99 Extreme6/3.1. The Z97-based motherboard features a combination Type-A and Type-C card, where the X99 version includes two Type-A because the board already rocks a Type-C port on its I/O.

When it comes to the PCIe cards, which provide a huge 10Gbps of bandwidth that will be capable of saturating a USB 3.1 port. The two ports will have a combined throughput of 10Gbps, versus 10Gbps per port. The PCIe cards have power requirements, with the dual Type-A cards requiring a 4-pin molex connector, while the combo card requires a 4-pin custom/floppy-sized connector. Each card has up to 3 amps at 5V, which allows for 15W charging.


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Rise of the Tomb Raider will see Lara Croft traverse through the snow
Rise of the Tomb Raider will have a totally different look to the reboot of Tomb Raider from Crystal Dynamics, with Tomb Raider's previous Art Director taking the position of Game Director for its sequel.

Brian Horton, the new Game Director for Rise of the Tomb Raider has reiterated the importance of a new look to the environment, where in Rise of the Tomb Raider, Lara Croft will venture out to Russia. Croft will be exploring a lost city, looking for answers about the immortal soul, with the new environment including various new challenges, and enemies.

Horton talked with Game Informer, where he said: "The concept art pieces that we do, generally have to accomplish a couple different things. They have to provide a sense of composition. You look at it and you go, 'Oh, I know where I am supposed to be looking. That is really interesting. I can't wait to get over there.' You create that interest through lighting, through complimentary color schemes, things you can say like I am in a very cold place or there is a warm light, or vice versa".

"There is this sort of ominous beauty we put into our games that has an oppressive quality. There is always that feeling of something not quite being in focus. You don't know what's back there, but it's got atmosphere across it. It's intriguing, and at the same time we want to engender a bit of mystery and potentially even fear - the fear of the unknown," he continued. Adding: "I've often said that the environment is the second most important character in the game. It is the adversary that Lara ultimately has to overcome. The weather and the danger of the traversal all have to come through in those concept pieces. A good concept for Tomb Raider tends to have those things: interesting composition, mood and atmosphere, and a sense of mystery and intrigue. There's something over there I have to get there. How do I do that?"

Rise of the Tomb Raider will be hitting the Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles from Microsoft later this year as a timed exclusive.


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ZRRO lets you play Android games on your TV for $149
Allowing users to play Android games, run Android apps, browse the internet and watch Netflix,the ZRRO Box sets out to be a new-age console, telling Razer that "We'll Take It From Here" - as seen in their release headline.

Currently on Kickstarter, this project has raised $35,392 in only a few days and is looking at a $200,000 total target with 41 more days to reach it.

Set out to turn your TV into somewhat of a "huge tablet," the ZRRO Pad will track and mirror your fingers' 3D position onto your TV, meaning you hover your finger over the pad to move your position and press the screen itself to select. You can also pinch, swipe and drag - just like other portable devices.

Along with the advanced controller, the package comes complete with the ZRRO BOX, which is the console itself - offering support for up to 4K resolution, with 2GB of DDR3 RAM, a quad-core processor and 16GB of internal storage.

As with almost-all Kickstarter campaigns, there is a myriad of different donation options available. An investment of $149 will see you receive the early-bird basic console package, including console itself and one controller. Bumping it up to $179 grants you a handy carry case on-top. Once the early bird deals have been exhausted, the general console pack will set you back $199.

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Further insight into CS:GO - ScreaM will answer your questions
To be conducted on HLTV, professional CS:GO player Adil "ScreaM" Benrlitom has been surrounded by quite a whirlwind of drama as of late and thus will be answering questions from the public surrounding his thoughts on recent happenings and future plans.

After former teammate Robin "GMX" Stahmer let loose that his old team had been part of match-fixing, Benrlitom and his squad were suspended from the gaming organization. This was followed by another Stahmer statement, claiming that Benrlitom had nothing to do with this match-fixing scandal. Finally, all of Benrlitom's teammates were handed life-time bans by Valve after being found guilty of match-fixing - leaving this poor man in the center of a big mess.

Benrlitom has made no public comment on his plans for the future, alongside not releasing many thoughts on the situation. In order to let the public in on his thoughts and future prospects, HLTV will be running an 'Ask Me Anything' (AMA) this coming Thursday - where members of the public can ask of him what they wish, directly. All questions will be taken from comments this article, so we suggest you get posting if there's something you wish to know.


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This LED packed S-Frame is Vegas summed up in a PC chassis
"What is this a f****n Las Vegas?" This was the first comment that caught my eye when this amazing InWin S-Frame build was shared in the Watercooled PC Facebook group.

Designed and built by Wae Waefamily, this stunning modding project ensures that you'll never forget what companies and models of components are located within your prize and joy. A great option for sponsored builds, this project unfortunately comes with extremely limited information.

Complete with Kingston HyperX RAM, Inno3D GTX980's in SLI, an ASUS motherboard and a bunch of Samsung 950 PRO SSD's - you can be sure that this fully water cooled build will make easy work of any games you might want to play right now.

The case is finished off nicely with the quote "Life is just a game" - helping tie together this great looking build.

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Netgear routers allowing hackers to pass administrator authentication
A recent flaw has been discovered in multiple Netgear router models, reportedly allowing hackers to bypass administrator authentication and gain full access to the device as found by Network engineer, Peter Adkins.

Adkins discovered that routers in the popular Netgear 'WNDR' range are running a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) service as part of the Netgear Genie device administration application. Seemingly secure, he was able to bypass filtering and authentication for the SOAP service over a Wi-Fi connection without much effort.

Once the connection had been established, Adkins was able to extract the admin password, Wi-Fi interface credentials, station identifiers, the device serial number and even information on connected clients. He then notified Netgear of this security issue, however was met with a response which included "the network should still stay secure" - apparently due to hidden built-in security features.

If you wish to view more in-depth information about this vulnerability, Adkins has released an analysis on Github. We'll also list below exactly what routers have been tested and confirmed to contain this issue.

Confirmed vulnerable routers:

• NetGear WNDR3700v4 - V1.0.0.4SH
• NetGear WNDR3700v4 - V1.0.1.52
• NetGear WNR2200 - V1.0.1.88
• NetGear WNR2500 - V1.0.0.24
• NetGear WNDR3700v2 - V1.0.1.14
• NetGear WNDR3700v1 - V1.0.16.98
• NetGear WNDR3700v1 - V1.0.7.9
• NetGear WNDR4300 - V1.0.1.60

Routers believed to be vulnerable but not yet tested:

• WNDR3800
• WNDRMAC
• WPN824N
• WNDR4700

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KnowBe4: Social engineering still extremely effective to victimize
Following news that millions of dollars have been stolen from banks by cybercriminals was yet another startling wakeup call for cybersecurity experts. Not surprisingly, hackers delivered the malware payload via social engineering phishing attacks targeted at reckless employees.

"Even after 20 years, social engineering is still the easiest way into a target's network and systems, and it's still the hardest attack to prevent," said Kevin Mitnick, legendary hacker and Chief Hacking Officer of KnowBe4.

Companies need to be aware that employees - in a number of different departments - are often untrained and rather careless when checking their emails. Spear-phishing tends to be a popular choice among cybercriminals, able to trick employees by using a customized approach.

"While this cyberheist is consider very sophisticated, spear-phishing is one of the most preventable and affordable," said Stu Sjouwerman, CEO of KnowBe4. "You would expect the finance industry to set the bar very high and have employees trained within an inch of their lives not to fall for such an attack. We would highly encourage financial institutions to take a look at their training methods and beef them up accordingly."


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3D-printed food far from mainstream, but still capturing attention
It's going to take a while before 3D printers go mainstream, but consumers have shown a genuine curiosity about 3D-printed food.

3D food printers operate by printing out layers of edible materials, capable of creating pastries, chocolate, pasta, pizza, and other delicious snacks and foods. Unfortunately, supporters are struggling to find ways to turn this curiosity into a long-term business model - and whether this is an ideal strategy for home cooks or restaurants.

"The really exciting thing is the food we can't even imagine today because we don't have any way to make it," said Hod Lipson, Cornell University Creative Machines Lab director, in a statement to the AP. "That's the part I don't think anybody has really figured out."

It's going to be difficult to attract consumers into 3D printers just to make food - but it can remain a popular choice for restaurants trying to create niche products. Also, 3D-printed foods tend to be popular during business meetings and trade shows, so there are opportunities available for companies willing to gamble.


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Silicon Valley forcing automakers to be more proactive with research
The automotive industry is embracing change - and increasing pressure - from the number of technology companies interested in developing self-driving and connected car features.

Google, Sony, Apple, and other tech companies are interested in developing everything from their own vehicles down to software and hardware that can be used in next-generation cars. Google's public ambition to develop a self-driving vehicle has been noticed by automakers, interested in learning from the tech company's successes and failures.

"Google is pushing the theme of self-driving cars very strongly," said Volkmar Denner, CEO of Bosch, during a conference in Germany. "That's having a very positive effect for the entire automotive industry, because it enormously accelerates the pace of introducing drive-assist systems and semi-automatic functions."

To counter this increased pressure from Silicon Valley, automakers such as Ford, GM and others are investing more resources into autonomous technology. However, automakers are concerned of even higher demand for skilled workers, with Bosch, BMW, Volkswagen, and other companies fighting to retain employees.


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Sony SmartEyeglass Developer Edition on sale, Google Glass alternative
Sony has announced its SmartEyeglass Developer Edition is available for pre-order in the UK and Germany, with sales opening up in the United States, Japan, France, Belgium, Sweden, Netherlands, Spain and Italy beginning next month.

The hands-free device superimposes images into the wearer's vision range, with Sony hoping it will be able to drive interest in the workplace. The company also was careful to create a more aesthetically pleasing product than Glass, which drew a high amount of criticism from potential wearers.

SmartEyeglass also uses a 3-megapixel CMOS image sensor, gyro, accelerometer, electronic compass and brightness sensor - paired with GPS data from a smartphone - to allow custom data to be shared with the wearer.

This could be a good time for Sony to launch its developer edition product, as Google has taken its Glass AR wearable back to the drawing board. The SmartEyeglass Developer Edition is priced at $840, a significantly lower price than Google Glass when it first launched.

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Apple ordered up to 6 million smartwatches, preparing for launch
Apple is anticipating big demand for its Apple Watch smartwatch, asking Asian suppliers to prepare five to six million units ready for launch in April. The company will release three models and wants to ensure there is adequate stock of each one.

At least half of the production numbers will be for the Apple Sport, the company's entry-level smartwatch model, though production plans can be adjusted as needed.

The high-end Apple Watch Edition has seen small pre-orders to date, but Apple will produce at least one million units per month during Q2, according to sources. The watch has an 18-karat gold casing and could be extremely popular in China, as Apple products have become increasingly popular there as of late.

The smartwatch market has become even more crowded over the past year, but analysts expect the Apple Watch to take the lead - and help drive even more interest towards smartwatches and wearables.


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Apotop i-Selfie Join Me Wireless Smartphone Photo Snapper Review

Introduction

You're intrigued enough to open the review and that's the first step. Today, I'll be taking a look over the i-Selfie Join Me by Apotop - it's one of those mobile accessories that at first glance looks a little silly, however, has an actual purpose that may be hidden to most.

This device is the second edition in the i-Selfie series with 'Join Me' title referring to the ability for this device to connect to multiple devices in one session, allowing you to chain together smartphones or tablets and take a photo from each at the same time with one press of a button.

In this review, I'll go over the basic product features, some specialized testing (like the distance rating), and provide you with some usage ideas that may not come to you at first. Trust me, this is a legitimate product and can be used for a few specific purposes, however, if these don't suit you, look no further.

Specifications, Pricing and Availability

Running on a Bluetooth 4.0 platform, Apotop claim that this device has an "active range" of 10-30 meters (33 - 98 feet). The 30 meter range seems to be only in open-air non-crowded environments, however, we'll be testing that later on in the review. We found it listed online for around $25.

Coming in at 34.3 x 30.8 x 10.85 mm, this product weighs almost nothing - 0.3 ounces. The weight listed includes the small button itself, the 'hook' case and the included tiny hanger chain - although we're not exactly sure what the hook is for. It seems that the small chain will fit nicely onto any key-chain, helping increase the portability of the product. It's compatible with any iOS 8.0 iPhone, iPod or iPad, you can also use this product on Android 4.3 platforms and above.

The metal chain also comes with an earphone jack 'plug' meaning that you can hang it out of your device if you see fit - extremely useful for those with handbags, not so much for pockets. If you're concerned about the chain falling out of the i-Selfie, you can simply connect the rubber hole directly to your key-chain, or threat the chain through and double it over.

A Closer Look and what's in the box

Now we're still a little confused about the optimal application for the carry-case and chain combo, testing out a few different ways it seems that there is no 'best' way to go about it - so just try your best and see what works for you.

The whole package is obviously quite simplistic, as you would assume. Besides the button itself, you are presented with the hook cover and a small metal chain connected to the earphone plug. This is completely to be expected with products like what we have here, what else could you possibly include?

PRICING: You can find the Apotop Wireless Snapshot for iOS and Android (BL_i-Selfie Join Me) 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 Apotop Wireless Snapshot for iOS and Android (BL_i-Selfie Join Me) retails for $24.94 at Amazon.
... Read the rest in your browser!



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Amped Wireless Shipping Industry's First High Power Touch Screen 802.11ac Wi-Fi Router
Amped Wireless, the leading manufacturer of high power, long range wireless solutions for the home and office, is shipping the next model in its TAP Series of Touch Screen Wi-Fi devices, the TAP-R2. The TAP-R2 is the first of its kind, a High Power Touch Screen AC750 Wi-Fi Router. Designed to deliver 3X the Wi-Fi coverage of other Routers, coupled with an incredibly fast and simple setup process that requires nothing but a few taps of your finger to complete. This addition to the Amped Wireless TAP series will transform the average consumers experience with Wi-Fi hardware.

The TAP-R2 is sleek and compact, but it can outperform some of the biggest Routers on the market and is built with an incredibly simple setup process. With its high power components, the TAP-R2 can send a Wi-Fi signal to areas like upstairs rooms, out to the yard, or to the far office. Equipped with a total of six high power amplifiers and two high gain antennas (external and internal), the TAP-R2 delivers up to 800mW of Wi-Fi output power. More output power means more Wi-Fi range as it allows a signal to push through walls and eliminate Wi-Fi dead spots. By fine tuning this advanced, high power technology, the TAP-R2 can supply up to 3X the speed and coverage of standard Routers and all in a few taps on the screen.

"Many homes and offices are settling for poor performing, slow and outdated Wi-Fi networks simply because they don't want to wrestle with updating it," stated Lacey Limbrick, Brand/Marketing Manager at Amped Wireless. "We plan to change this networking experience with our TAP-R2. Consumers can now update and upgrade their network with next gen AC Wi-Fi speeds and they'll be able to get all of this accomplished and up and running in minutes. The touchscreen setup eliminates headaches as it makes installation incredibly simple."

The Router's setup is done entirely on the touchscreen display. After powering on the Router, the user taps to begin the easy to follow Setup Wizard. The TAP-R2 automatically detects your Internet settings, the user gives the Wi-Fi networks names and passwords, and setup is complete. No laptops or other devices are needed. The touchscreen also allows for quick access to many features of the Router including the setup and management of Guest Networks, the Wi-Fi Access Schedule, User Access Controls, the strength of the Wi-Fi signal in Signal Coverage Controls and many other settings.

The TAP-R2 is shipping to customers February 23rd. It is available online at ampedwireless.com. It will also be available at most major brick and mortar retailers and online etailers, in the weeks to follow. Visit http://www.ampedwireless.com/products/tap-r2.html to pre-order today.


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Acer Announces XG270HU Monitor with AMD Freesync
The Acer XG270HU gaming monitor with AMD FreeSync technology and support for AMD Radeon R-Series GPU eliminates screen tearing and stuttering to offer users an ultra-smooth gaming experience. This 27-inch monitor also comes with WQHD (2560 x 1440) resolution, a fast 144Hz refresh rate, and an edge-to-edge frameless design for enhanced gaming performance and seamless viewing.

With FreeSync technology, the XG270HU monitor's frames are synced with the video card's frames to eliminate screen tearing and stuttering. This technology minimizes lag and latency, thereby offering ultra-smooth action sequences that are essential for enjoying the latest games. The XG270HU's edge-to-edge frameless display maximizes the viewing area and affords a seamless viewing experience for multi-monitor setups. Its fast 1ms response time assures that actions or dramatic transitions will be rendered smoothly without smearing or ghosting effects.

The XG270HU is adorned with Acer's characteristic gaming visual identity with a bold orange strip along the bottom horizontal frame and outlines the base stand. For easy connectivity, the monitor includes HDMI 2.0, dual-link DVI, DisplayPort 1.2, and 2 x 2W speakers.

To reduce eye strain and potential eye damage from prolonged viewing, the XG270HU is built with Acer EyeProtect technologies. This includes flicker-less technology that eliminates screen flicker through a stable supply of power; ComfyView which reduces reflection from ambient light sources on the non-glare panel, low-dimming technology that adjusts screen brightness when working in non-optimal lighting conditions, and a blue light filter to reduce blue light exposure.


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AOC Unveils the Q2778VQE 27-inch WQHD Monitor
With a WQHD resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and a super short response time of just 1 ms, the 27" (68.6 cm) AOC Q2778VQE is not only ideal for enjoying fast-paced games and movies in full detail. Professional users also benefit greatly from the impressive screen real estate, e. g. while working with complex multi-window applications or high-resolution imagery.

Display specialist AOC's new WQHD monitor AOC Q2778VQE boasts a 27" (68.6 cm) TN panel with an aspect ratio of 16:9, wide viewing angles (170-degree horizontal / 160-degree vertical) and a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. This way, computer games can be enjoyed in significantly richer detail than with standard Full HD monitors. In addition, entertainment users in particular benefit greatly from the extremely short response time of just 1 ms, which virtually eliminates ghosting effects. This way, players and movie enthusiasts can enjoy crisp and clear images even during fast-paced, action-packed scenes. The monitor's super-fast DisplayPort input option is an ideal choice to transmit high resolution content in a particularly smooth way.

But also professional users can gain a significant boost in productivity from the AOC Q2778VQE. The large amount of pixels allows for more application windows to be displayed at the same time, which makes multitasking a lot easier. Thanks to the large 27" (68.6 cm) screen, all contents appear still big enough to be recognized without a problem. But also individual applications such as graphic programs benefit greatly from the higher resolution.

Photographers, for example, can let their photos come to live in incredible detail, and easily manipulate tiny details without needing to zoom in as much as with lower resolution displays. The monitor's high brightness of 350 cd/ma makes photos and other contents look even better.

Versatile and efficient

In order to give users a variety of options for connecting different image sources, the AOC Q2778VQE comes with DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI and

D-Sub connectors. This way, it is no problem to e.g. hook up a video game console and several computers at the same time.

The display's high performance and versatility do not come at the cost of sustainability. The AOC Q2778VQE comes with the clever energy saving features Eco Mode and e-Saver. The monitor also fulfills strict regulations such as EnergyStar 6.0 and TCO 6.0. As with all of its displays, AOC offers a 3 year warranty with on-site exchange service.

The AOC Q2778VQE is available now at a suggested retail price of 299 GBP (459.08 US Dollar).


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ICY DOCK Announces ToughArmor MB998SP-B Drive Cage
Not all devices are created equal, and this can be seen with the ToughArmor M998SP-B which skews the realm of possibilities. It boasts the ability to house an unprecedented 8 x 2.5" SATA drives with 7mm height into a single 5.25" drive bay, making it the ultimate solution for storage dense applications. Our unique hot-swappable 2.5" EZ Slide Nano trays let you painlessly and quickly swap out drives. Dual 40mm fans keep your drives nice and cool while ventilated openings located on the front and sides maximize airflow. The MB998SP-B features a heavy duty full metal housing which is commercially designed for Medical & Military systems, IPC, enterprise, and industrial settings.

Utilizing the standard 5.25" bay form factor, the compact design allows the cage to be used in various applications such as advanced RAID. With the MB998SP-B it's possible to build dual RAID 5 or RAID 10 arrays or use 4 drives in a high performance RAID 0 array plus two RAID 1 arrays for backups. The MB998SP-B is extremely useful for workstations, compact servers, gaming rigs, home servers or HTPC's due to its high capacity and space saving design. It is also perfect for users that need non-RAID JBOD storage to save different content in different drive locations. It supports a wide-range of applications which makes the MB998SP-B invaluable.

Using the EZ Slide Nano trays makes drive interchangeability and maintenance completely hassle free. For drive security, the Eagle-hook lock system on the tray makes sure your hard drives will not eject when not needed. The trays are designed to accommodate 7mm height hard drive and SSD, creating a 2.5" hot swap bay for any standard SATA hard drives and SSDs.

Ensuring the safety of your valuable data is the foundation to any good system build or design. The MB998SP-B is capable of holding up to the most demanding environments with its heavy duty full metal construction in the entirety of the body and its smaller components. The ToughArmor's full metal design is also perfect for industrial and medical devices that may require a flammability rating as the full metal material is considered to already comply with flammability requirements. An all metal design also dissipates heat from the hard drives to the backplane cage resulting in cooler drives. Lastly, Anti-Vibration Technology (AVT) and EMI grounding are used to ensure a stable environment for the hard drives or SSD's used, dramatically improving reliability.

Bringing more utility your hard drives or SSDs, LED's are installed into the front of the mobile rack to provide individual drive status information at all times. Active Power Technology (APT) allows each LED and the cooling fan to be active only when a hard drive is inserted into the enclosure. When the unit does power up, two 40mm cooling fan placed strategically behind the rear panel provide airflow throughout the entire cage cooling all 8 bays effectively and efficiently.

Never forget which drives belong in what bays. With our individual drive ID labels you'll always know which drive tray belongs in your RAID array or which drive contains certain files. Freely unplug and rearrange them to better suit your configuration or simply remove them for a more simplified look.

The ToughArmor MB998SP-B supports both 7pin SATA and 15pin SATA power cables with locking latches so you'll never need to worry about cables unintentionally disconnecting from your enclosure. Once these cables are connected, they'll lock into place and stay that way.

Key Feature:

• Heavy duty full metal construction with commercially designed for Medical & Military systems, Media servers, and IPCs, approved & used by Tier 1 companies
• Perfect for rugged applications and complies to flammability requirements
• Fits 8 x 7mm 2.5" SATA hard drives or SSD's in a single 5.25" bay for high performance RAID applications
• Dual 40mm fans keep your drives from overheating
• Requires only 2 x 15pin power connectors to power all 8 bays
• Drive label plugs to keep track of your RAID drives
• Anti-Vibration Technology (AVT) - creates a safe environment for hard drives or SSDs
• Active Power Technology (APT) - individual led & cooling fan only powers up if there is a drive installed in the bay
• Eagle-hook lock system keeps drives secured within the enclosure
• Removable tray system for easy maintenance
• Supports SATA 6Gbps and hot swap
• Supports SATA and SATA power cables with locking latch design
• Industry leading 3 year warranty with exceptional customer supp

ort


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AeroCool Announces GT-RS ATX Cube Chassis
Aerocool Advanced Technologies, one of world's leading manufacturers of excellent gaming PC gear, announces a brand new cube chassis with ATX form factor support and compact dimensions. The GT-RS comes with a unique interior design where mainboard with the form factors ATX, micro-ATX and mini-ATX are mounted upside-down on the left side of the chassis. The mounting locations of hard drives and optical drives have been moved to a separate chamber, in order to achieve improved airflow.

Aerocool successfully combined a futuristic design with a unique interior layout. The GT-RS chassis has similar dimensions as the popular Aerocool DS Cube but uses the space differently, which allows mounting of ATX motherboards. Large VGA cards with a total length of 300 millimeters and CPU coolers with 121 millimeters height are supported as well. Users with water-cooling systems are able to mount single or dual radiators in the GT-RS.

Another advantage of the unique interior layout is that it improves the airflow, due to the fact that components such as PSU, ODD and HDD bays have been moved to a separate chamber. One 120 mm case fan is pre-installed in the front to allow sufficient airflow. The supplied case fan spins with 1.200 RPM at 22,5 dBA. Users have the option to slow it down thanks to a built-in fan controller, which is implemented into the top panel of the GT-RS. The switch reduces the voltage to 5 Volts, which means that the fan operates even more silently at 500 RPM. Yet another feature of the switch in the top panel is the option to switch the fan LED color from red to blue.

One 5,25 inch bay for optical drives and one 3,5 inch bay are located on the front side of the second chamber and hidden behind a door to keep a tidy and cool front panel design. Two 2,5 inch drives (SSD/HDD) and two 3,5 inch drives can be easily mounted as well. It is possible to use the external 3,5 inch bay to mount another 3,5 inch HDD, if required. The GT-RS chassis offers space for up to three additional case fans, which allows individual airflow optimization. Aerocool furthermore offers up-top-date connectivity with the integrated two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 connectors, one mic and one headphone connector, which are located on top of the GT-RS.

Aerocool's GT-RS Cube chassis will be available at etailers and retails starting this week. Suggested manufacturers price is set at 63,90 EUR in Europe and 70,00 $USD in USA (excl. Taxes).


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Super Talent Announces DuraDrive ZT4 SSD
Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of NAND Flash storage solutions, announces its DuraDrive ZT4 solid state drive for commercial and industrial storage solutions.

The DuraDrive ZT4 is the successor to the highly popular DuraDrive ZT3 that utilizes a 40-pin Zero Insertion Force connector with an IDE interface. The ZT4 is commonly used in aerospace, enterprise computing, and medical systems to provide reliable and high application performance. The smaller form factor allows the ZT4 to fit into smaller enclosures ensuring that precious device real estate is available for expansion and cooling.

DuraDrives are Super Talent's state-of-the art solid state storage solution where applications require high performance storage while being subjected to a variety of environments. DuraDrive products are available in a variety of configurations with multiple features to choose from based on a project's needs.

Additional information on Super Talent's DuraDrive ZT4 can be found here.


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PNY Launches Clip Design HP x710w USB 3.0 Flash Drive
PNY Technologies, Inc. ("PNY"), world renowned manufacturer of USB and Memory products, has officially released the HP x710w USB 3.0 Flash Drive. The HP x710w is subtle and sophisticated in design, yet practical and stylish. The clip-on design can be conveniently attached to brochures, documents and files, while storing up to 64GB of digital files including documents, images, music, movies and more. Adorn it as a fashion accessory and clip it on your tie, wallet, shirt pockets or scarves. Add style and functionality to your lifestyle with the HP x710w.

Crafted in a sleek metallic housing, the drive is designed with a high-quality steel finish that gives it a smooth reflective surface. The convenient cap-less design steers away from conventional pen drive designs and eliminates unnecessary worries about a misplaced cap. Light and easy to carry around, the HP x710w weighs 6.2g and measures at a petite size at H 4.5mm x W 12.1mm x L 40mm. Carry large data files, such as movies, in this slim and portable USB Flash Drive whenever you're on the move. Store your work projects, work presentations or important files with this classy and professional-looking HP x710w.

The HP x710w features USB 3.0 specifications for fast transfer of files between your computer and the drive. It is also backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and is complaint with all notebook and computer models. This USB Flash Drive performs at up to 90MB/s read and 30MB/s write (64GB). The HP x710w is available in capacities ranging from 8GB to 64GB and is compatible with Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8 and Mac OS: 10.3 and above; and comes with a 2-year warranty from the date of purchase.


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Fractal Design introducing more layers of cool products.
Fractal Design announces the Silent Series R3 fan series, an upgraded fan construction revamping the current Silent Series fan lineup, delivering a balanced, sturdy design.

The new Dynamic Series of fans bring forth a custom designed and engineered fan, with bold aerodynamic features that allow it to stand out from the crowd.

Silent Series R3 Fans

Fractal Design Silent Series R3 fans offer excellent value for money, with good performance and assured reliability.

All Fractal Design Silent Series R3 fans are equipped with long-life rifle bearings and an easy-to-hide, sleek black cable.

Available in a large variety of sizes, ranging from compact 40mm fans to full-size 140mm fans, the Silent Series R3 delivers suitable options for replacing loud or damaged fans in both computers and many other electronic devices.

SSR3 Key Features

• Featuring rifle bearings, providing improved life expectancy and lower noise compared to a standard sleeve bearing
• Black stealth ribbon cable, making it easy to hide the cable contributing to a clean build
• Improved, more balanced, sturdy fan design delivering precision at a good price point
• Low fan speeds, optimized for quiet operation
• Featuring Fractal Design's signature black and white color scheme
• Offering sizes from 40mm up to 140mm for all your build needs

For more product details and image gallery, visit the Silent Series R3 product pages!

Dynamic Series Fans

Fractal Design Dynamic GP-12 and GP-14 are true all-purpose fans, with good airflow in any usage scenario. Their customized design lends to a beautifully aesthetic fan to help keep your system cool, yet quiet.

Designed with leading technology techniques in mind, the Dynamic Series fans feature aerodynamic elements, similarly found in airplane wing designs, with significant noise-reducing elements, resulting in a fantastic price-performance ratio.

The Dynamic Series fans come in two color combinations: all-black and the classic Fractal Design signature color scheme with white blades and black frame.

Dynamic Series Key Features

• Featuring hydraulic bearings; a cost-efficient compromise between a standard sleeve bearing and a true FDB bearing
• Equipped with a counter-balancing magnet in the hub that reduces the axial tension on the bearing, further protecting the longevity of the bearing
• Optimized fan geometry for a good balance between static pressure and maximum airflow, resulting in good performance in all usage scenarios
• Aerodynamically shaped thin stator struts (including wire strut), mimicking the design commonly found on airplane wings, delivering correct angles allowing for air to easily pass through reducing noise and unwanted turbulence.
• Stator struts are angled perpendicular to the blades, helping to reduce noise commonly emitted when the blades pass the struts. In effect, minimal noise that may be emitted will be constant and therefore almost inaudible to the ear.
• Strategically placed notches near the fan hub on the trailing edge of the blades, further reducing and diffusing humming noise produced when the blades pass the stator struts
• Includes a "trip wire" on the rear side of the blades, near the leading edge. The trip wire technology, also commonly found in airplane wing designs, introduces a micro-turbulent layer that helps to combat the elements that negatively affect performance. The presence of the trip wire overall provides a more efficient and quiet fan environment.
• The customized design of the Dynamic Series fans contributes to a beautiful, cool build
• Available in 120mm and 140mm fan sizes

For more product details and image gallery, visit the Dynamic Series product pages!

*Availability for new fans starting April 2015


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