IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 2/20/2015

Samsung acquires LoopPay, preparing to throw down with Apple Pay
Samsung has purchased U.S. mobile payments firm LoopPay, giving the South Korean electronics company a strategy to compete with Apple Pay. It looks like a new mobile payments solution will be introduced on March 1, during Samsung's Galaxy S6 smartphone event.

Unlike Apple Pay, LoopPay's solution can convert traditional point-of-sale (POS) systems so they are able to accept contactless payments. Customers tap their smartphone next to a LoopPay card reader connected to the POS, with Samsung saying 90 percent of current systems support the mobile payment technology.

"Our goal has always been to build the smartest, most secure, user-friendly mobile wallet experience, and we are delighted to welcome LoopPay to take us closer to this goal," said JK Shin, co-CEO and head of Samsung's mobile business, said in a public statement.

The mobile payments industry still has a long way to go before becoming mainstream, but there is definite interest from tech companies.


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Swedish man behind BlackShades malware pleads guilty in US court
Swedish citizen Alex Yucel, 24, has pleaded guilty for his role in being co-creator of the BlackShades malware, which infected more than 500,000 PCs across the world. Yucel pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of malicious software, and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years.

In exchange for his guilty plea, there is a stipulated agreement that will see Yucel receive a sentence ranging from 70 to 87 months. "I do actually want to plead guilty," Yucel said in his court appearance. "I knew that the program would be used to cause damage."

Yucel was arrested in November 2013 while in Moldova, and was extradited to the United States. As the operator of the criminal organization, Yucel hired administrators, marketing and customer support staff to interact with customers - generating upwards of $350,000 in revenue.

The BlackShades remote access tool (RAT) malware was sent to thousands of cybercriminals, paying $40 for the custom software. Infected users were vulnerable because hackers were able to view files, documents, photos, steal passwords, record keystrokes and remotely access cameras and microphones.


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Strategy Analytics: Consoles far from dead, with PS4, Xbox One success
The gaming market is alive and well, with PC and console gamers both enjoying hardware and software titles available to them. Sony and Microsoft have a lot to be thankful for, as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox are enjoying appealing titles able to keep gamers interested.

Both saw strong year one shipments - and the global install base for both consoles has been extremely successful.

"Despite reports to the contrary, the game console market is not dead," said Eric Smith, senior analyst for connected home devices at Strategy Analytics, in a statement published by Venture Beat. "Core gamers have moved faster to this current generation than in any previous generation. The main difference in this generation is that casual gamers who bought a Wii are remaining largely on the sidelines as free-to-play casual games and mid-core games on tablets and smartphones have captured this segment of consumers."

The addition of cloud streaming and other entertainment features appear to enhance the console experience, instead of take away from it, according to the Strategy Analytics research group.

Both the PS4 and Xbox One should be able to equal the success of their predecessors, if not surpass them long-term. Unfortunately, Nintendo is losing out, with the Wii U greatly suffering as casual gamers embrace mobile gaming on their tablets and smartphones.


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Report says eSports economy will generate minimum $465 Million in 2017
With the total eSports revenues of 2014 said to equal $194 million, Newzoo's latest report claims that this figure will climb to a massive $465 million in 2017.

This report was conducted in conjunction with Repucom, a sports market research company. Their findings also state that the number of eSports enthusiasts is likely to climb from 89 million as seen in 2014 to 145 million in 2017 - with another 190 million said to be included as casual viewers. Relating this to the general (public) sporting field, this means that eSports will generate a similar fan base to the traditional sports of Volleyball, American Football and Ice Hockey.

ESL is one of the largest names in the eSports world, conducting numerous tournaments spanning many different titles each year - seeing tens of thousands of live spectators and hundreds of thousands of online fans watching their every move. Their global managing director, Heinrich Zetlmayer, is excited by this news, stating "Reading through the first, most extensive and comprehensive report that puts some realistic numbers on the esports industry was a pleasure. Especially the comparison to traditional sports is a valuable insight that will help everyone understand better what this business is about and the potential it has."

There are other growth avenues to think about with one of the majors being that of betting - Newzoo claims that "Esports betting is likely to already be close to a $100 million dollar industry," with iGaming Capital CEO, Melissa Blau adding "Only a few of the mainstream betting operators are fully taking advantage of esports, such as Pinnacle, Bet354 and recently Paddy Power."


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Analyst: PlayStation 4 will outsell Xbox One 40% over next four years
The Sony PlayStation 4 will see its sales dominance over the Microsoft Xbox One continue, with the Japanese console outselling its American counterpart 40 percent by 2019, according to Strategy Analytics.

Through the first 14 months, the PS4 has sold 18.5 million units - and is on track to mimic the same success the PlayStation 2 had years ago. Strategy Analytics believes the PS4 will sell 80 million consoles by 2019, a dominant lead over the estimated 57 million units for the Xbox One.

The PS4 dominated the Xbox One for most of 2014, and has recaptured its lead in 2015 - and predicting extended dominance wouldn't be overly surprising. Even if Microsoft is unable to catch up to the PS4, there is still plenty of room for both consoles to rack up impressive sales figures.


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Slightly Mad Studios delays Project Cars from March 17 to April 2
Project Cars has been delayed again, with Slightly Mad Studios announcing that it will be missing its March 17 release for an April 2 release on Steam for the PC, and April 7 on the PS4 and Xbox One. In Europe however, it will release on all three platforms on April 2.

The simulation racer was meant to launch last November, but it was pushed out to March 17, and now to April 2. The latest delay to the game has come from "final adjustments in the game that are required to provide fans with the best gaming experience they can have" according to publisher Bandai Namco.

Slightly Mad Studios' boss, Ian Bell, explains: "Moving the release date was not an easy decision to make, as we know our fans are eager to get their hands-on on Project Cars. But we know that these extra days will allow us to provide the best game experience that our fans deserve. We assure you the wait will be worth it when the game does arrive early April".


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Beam hits Kickstarter, wants to transform your light bulb socket
As someone who has just started using the Philips Hue lighting system, I'm beginning to see the appeal of older things receiving some next-gen paint. The light bulb socket is a popular spot to play around with these days, with a new cool-looking device hitting Kickstarter, known as Beam.

Beam is a normal projector, that fits into any regular light bulb socket, where it draws power from the socket to blast out images onto a flat surface. Beam, if it can raise $200,000 by March 24, will connect wirelessly to any smartphone or tablet through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, as long as you have the Beam app installed. Inside of Beam, will be a 1.3GHz dual-core processor, and 8GB of NAND flash storage. The team behind Beam has teased that the projector-cum-light-bulb will be intelligent, where profiles can be set up. For example, you can have it turn on and open YouTube when you walk through door.

The cheapest form of Beam is $349 on Kickstarter, or $399 for the regular model. The team is hoping to begin shipping some models by September.


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DirectX 12 will reportedly 'treat multiple GPUs as a single entity'
We know to expect some big things from DirectX 12, but the more we hear about it, the more we want it now, now, now. AnandTech has completed a deep-dive into the upcoming API from Microsoft, noticing some huge improvements across a range of hardware.

We've written about Brad Wardell, the CEO of Stardock and his impressions of DX12, but he has said that using an "unreleased GPU" he was able to see a huge 100FPS difference between cards. He tweeted that he "did a test of DirectX 11 vs. DirectX 12 on an unreleased GPU with an 8core CPU. DX11: 13fps, DX12: 120fps. Lighting and lens effects".

When pressed, Wardell said he was using a Crossfire system, with an Intel Core i7 CPU. Since he's using an "unreleased GPU" we can gather he might be using the new Radeon R9 390X, which is another nice nugget of information, it means that they're out in the wild. Better yet, Wardell said that "one thing it does make it easy to treat multiple GPUs as a single identity". This is something we reported on not too long ago, where we reported that the VRAM on multi-GPU systems would be seen as one.


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Researchers hit 224Gbps on Li-Fi, or 27GB/sec on an LED lightbulb
Well, my 100/40Mbps fiber connection has just become quite slow compared to what researchers over at the University of Oxford have been playing around with. These researchers have reached a new milestone in networking technology by reaching bi-directional speeds of 224 gigabits per second (Gbps) using light fidelity (Li-Fi).

Considering 100Gbps fiber optic core networks have only just come into play, achieving 224Gbps over an LED light bulb is simply amazing. This connection would be capable of downloading a gigantic 27GB/sec, capable of blowing through terabytes of data in seconds. This new technology is being worked on as a possible alternative to Wi-Fi, as Li-Fi uses the visible light spectrum to transfer data. When mixed with a high-speed fiber Internet connection, researchers believe that we could see speeds far higher than anything Wi-Fi has on offer.

This means that the future of Internet connectivity could be delivered through light, which doesn't pass through walls, to most areas. We could have light bulbs providing super-fast Internet connectivity, with one of the pioneers behind Li-Fi, Harold Haas, stating that the future of every LED lightbulb could be used as an ultra-fast alternative to Wi-Fi. During a TED Talk, Haas said about Li-Fi: "We have the infrastructure there. We can use them for communications. All we need to do is fit a small microchip to every potential illumination device and this would then combine two basic functionalities: illumination and wireless data transmission. In the future we will not only have 14 billion light bulbs, we may have 14 billion Li-Fi's deployed worldwide for a cleaner, greener and even a brighter future".


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AMD Radeon 300 series launch will feature cards with older GCN chips
AMD is on the verge of announcing and releasing its new Radeon 300 series of cards, but according to a new report from Sweclockers, the codename Fiji GPU will be the only new chip in the Radeon 300 series family. The rest of the cards, will have the current GCN cores, with the GCN 1.1 and GCN 1.2 architecture powering them.

The Radeon R9 390 and R9 390X should feature the new Fiji architecture, with the R9 390 arriving with the Fiji Pro GPU, while the R9 390X will rock the Fiji XT core. When it comes to the Radeon R9 395X2, we don't know if we'll see two of the Fiji XT or Fiji PRO GPUs on it just yet. We do know that we should expect the Radeon R9 390X to feature 4096 cores, 4GB of 4096-bit (1024-bit per channel) HBM memory and hopefully, much more. These new cards will be the first video cards in the world to feature SK Hynix's HBM memory, as well as the first look at the latest GCN 1.3 architecture.

The biggest beast of the new cards will be 'Bermuda' which is the R9 395X2 dual-GPU offering, which should feature the new GCN 1.3 architecture and the super-fast new HBM memory. We don't know what else to expect, but I would like to see AMD make two versions of its R9 390X available: one with 4GB of HBM memory and the other with 8GB of VRAM. Another nice touch would be to have two versions of the R9 395X2: one with 8GB of VRAM (4GB per GPU) and another with 16GB of VRAM (8GB per GPU).


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Samsung teases #TheNextGalaxy as we get closer to the Galaxy S6 launch
As we get closer to the launch of the Galaxy S6, the hype train is building up with Samsung unveiling a new video that teases what it is calling "The Next Galaxy". You can check out the video below.

I am #TheNextGalaxy. Be inspired by my vision at #Unpacked.

https://t.co/Qu3e4L2DEg
- SamsungMobile (@SamsungMobile) February 13, 2015

The South Korean electronics giant is teasing that the upcoming Galaxy S6 will feature "great vision" and a "unique view" before teasing the rear-facing camera of the Galaxy S6. We should expect Samsung to fully unveil its Galaxy S6, and even the Galaxy S6 Edge on March 1 during its Samsung Unpacked event at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

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Software Advice: More than half of SMBs don't have data breach plan
Companies are under cyberattack, and many of them are being caught off guard when a data breach occurs. More than half of small and midsize businesses (SMBs) don't have an appropriate breach response plan currently in place, according to a survey from Software Advice.

There are 47 states with breach notification laws that force companies to disclose data breaches when personal information is impacted. However, just 33 percent of SMB decision makers feel "very confident" they understand their state laws regarding breach notification - and it remains a confusing matter.

"Most of the time, when [valuable] information leaks out of a company, it is instantly being monetized on underground forums," said Bogdan Botezatu, senior e-threat analyst of the Bitdefender antivirus firm. This data can be moved quickly, as cybercriminals tend to want to exploit data before changes are made - and companies must inform their clients and customers promptly.

The federal government wants increased cooperation between corporations and the government regarding cybersecurity - but many SMBs are still left to fend for themselves. Data breaches sometimes prove to be catastrophic, and companies without data breach plans, tend to focus more on internal operations more than public disclosures.


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CCS Insight: Apple Watch will sell 20 million units by end of 2014
Apple will be able to rack up 20 million Apple Watch units sold by the end of the year, according to the CCS Insight analyst group.

Even though an estimated 7 percent of iPhone owners with devices able to support the watch plan to buy the wearable, Apple can expect to quickly become the leading smartwatch maker. If Apple successfully sells 20 million units by the end of the year, the company would control almost one-quarter of the wearable market.

"This highly anticipated smartwatch will create a frenzy of demand, catapulting it almost instantaneously to be the most successful smartwatch ever," according the report. "The current love affair affluent US consumers have with the iPhone guarantees a strong start for the Apple Watch in its home market."

Leading up to the launch of the Apple Watch in April, analysts are likely going to predict a wide range of different sales estimates. Even if the company doesn't come close to the 20-million unit prediction, the Apple Watch has already created renewed interest in the wearables market.


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Israel expects unmanned vehicles, robots to play bigger military role
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is embracing unmanned ground vehicles and robots, expecting the newer technologies to have a major role on the battlefield.

G-NIUS Autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicles is expanding away from the Guardium, promoting the Border Patroller UGV. The ground vehicles will be deployed to patrol the border with Gaza, able to detect and identify insurgent activity - and inform manned patrols.

"Its communications systems will be improved [compared to those of the Guardium], and the control aspect will be different," said Maj. Lior Tarbelsi, director of the Robotics Division in the Ground Forces Command's Weapons Department, in a statement published by The Jerusalem Post. "A robot can be risked, and it doesn't have to deal with a lack of lighting. It doesn't have to breathe, and it won't have to worry about getting shot."

Using autonomous military technology provides additional support, while freeing up soldiers to conduct other operations. The Israeli military already uses unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for reconnaissance and coordinated strikes, with other unmanned technology currently being developed.


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Nintendo says why smaller model New Nintendo 3DS wasn't released in US
Nintendo left some gamers confused when it confirmed it would release the New Nintendo 3DS XL console but not the smaller New Nintendo 3DS in the United States. However, the marketing decision was made in an effort to avoid confusing US gamers regarding the previous 3DS models and New Nintendo 3DS console unit.

"We're a different market," said Damon Baker, Senior Manager of Nintendo of America, in a statement to Nintendo Life. "And now we have clear differentiation between those three systems. Before, there was a very limited difference between the 3DS and 3DS XL: other than size. It was the same resolution, same functionality... now, there's the 2DS, 3DS, and New 3DS XL, all of which have their own functionality and features."

The hardware specifications are the same, but US gamers lose out on custom faceplates available for the New Nintendo 3DS unit. The New Nintendo 3DS can be found in Japan and Europe, and it's possible a US release could happen, but the company didn't confirm future plans.

"The different price points give it a clear message for consumers: the core audience... we weren't going to win with them on that decision. But we had to think about expanding the user base, we had to be able to market it and make it easy to pick up for consumers."


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GIGABYTE MD70-HB0 (Intel C612) Server Motherboard Review

Introduction

The second GIGABYTE server motherboard has entered our lab, and this motherboard supports Intel Haswell-EP E5-2600 v3 processors and DDR4 memory. Just as we saw in our review of the GIGABYTE MD60-SC0, the new GIGABYTE MD70-HB0 also features new improvements to the board design. This newer motherboard has an all-IR-power design that uses IRPowlRstage IC controllers, OS-CON capacitors for extended life, and high-end ferrite core chokes for stable power delivery, which we think will be typical for GIGABYTE's server boards now.

The same general features that GIGABYTE continues to offer on its new boards include easy BIOS update capability, which allows you to flash the BIOS without utilities; and the IPMI web interface to updated to 2.0, which adds even more remote access features.

Accessories listed for the GIGABYTE MD70-HB0 on the GIGABYTE website include:

• 1x Driver CD
• 1x I/O Shield
• 1x User Manual
• 2x SATA III 6Gb/s Cables

The MD70-HB0 is the base motherboard used on GIGABYTE's R270-R3C dual socket 2U rackmount server. Now, let's take a closer look at the MD70-HB0 server motherboard.
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