IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 2/21/2015

Sony release its overpriced Mico SD card with 'premium sound'
Not long ago, we shared with you this highly-priced 'directional audio Ethernet cable' - poised to set users back $10,000 from retailers and a sure-fire way to broadcast to the world that you have a lot of money, but not a lot of sense. Well it seems Sony has jumped on the audiophile bandwagon yet again, releasing their Micro SD card tailored "for Premium Sound."

This 64GB card will cost users $160 and is positioned at around five times the cost of a 'regular' 64GB option. According to Sony, this card will produce less electrical noise - therefore increasing your audio experience. A spokeswoman has even admitted that Sony has no idea if this thing will even move units, stating "we aren't that sure about the product's potential demand, but we thought some among people who are committed to great sound quality would want it."

If you've got some money to waste, this $160 Micro SD card will suit your $1,000 Sony Walkman ZX2 quite well.


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The new Corsair Dominator Platinum Orange Edition RAM is so satisfying
The polished metal finish and unique color design ensures that this new addition to the Corsair Dominator series is like no other. The Dominator series as a whole certainly isn't new, I remember filling my i7 2600k system back in 2011 with a few sticks of red Dominator's - however the product name lives on and it sure has aged well!

Custom-designed for and paired brilliantly with the GIGABYTE GA-X99-SOC Force motherboard, we can't wait for this DDR4 RAM to be thrown into a system - paging all modders!

Featuring a speed of 2400MHz and a tested Latency of 16-18-18-40, this set of RAM is "guaranteed to run at 3400MHz at ambient room temperature" according to Corsair's official website.

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Google puts FBI on blast for invasive privacy practices against users
Google doesn't like the idea of the FBI being able to easily access Internet-connected devices owned by consumers, with the company sending a 14-page letter to officials.

"Law-abiding citizens who were the target of an unconstitutional search but are not charged with a crime will almost certainly never learn of the search and therefore will not be able to challenge the search," said Richard Salgado, director of information security and law enforcement for Google, in a letter to the US government.

Not surprisingly, the federal government thinks it needs access to user data to bust criminals and for better national security:

"Law enforcement investigations of financial fraud, child pornography, terrorism and other threats to the public often require a remote search of the suspect's computer," said Robert Gay Guthrie, president of the National Association of Assistant US Attorneys, in an open letter. "But criminal suspects are increasingly using sophisticated anonymizing technologies and proxy services designed to hide their true IP addresses."

There is a certain level of fear and intimidation being used by the federal government, according to critics. When the US government discussed encryption, terrorism was noticeably included as a reason why police authorities and the federal government want access to mobile communications - without saying what, if any, oversight will be provided.


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Epic announces Unreal Dev Grants program, giving developers free money
While Epic Games' founder Tim Sweeney is teasing that VR will be indistinguishable from real life within 10 years, the company has just announced its Unreal Dev Grants program that will see developers working in and around its powerful Unreal Engine 4.

Epic Games has placed $5 million into the kitty for Unreal Dev Grants, where the studio will award developers amounts between $5000 and $50,000. Better yet, the studio will not be attaching any strings to the project. Tim Sweeney has weighed into the chat about Unreal Dev Grants, where he said that in order to fund the release of his first game, Sweeney borrowed his father's tractor and spent two entire summers mowing lawns. He said that the cost of getting games from the prototype stage to finished projects takes much more than just a part-time summer job.

Sweeney spoke with Polygon, where he said: "There's absolutely no substitute for money because some of these things require real-world expenses and can't be solved just by creativity and motivation alone". He added: "It's really hard for an indie now, given how crowded the market is. Even if you're going to start a Kickstarter campaign, that takes a significant effort. And that's a big change from the original days. So we set up this grant program to help people make that first big leap, which we see pretty consistently now requires some financial resources".

Back to the grants, of which they will be awarded on a rolling basis. Applicants will need to introduce themselves and their team, talk about their project briefly, and then provide a video demonstration of their working prototype. Epic will take it from there. Sweeney added: "Eighty percent of nominations will be publicly known, publicized, and the developers of them will actually want the publicity because it helps bring props and awareness to their project. We're happy to promote things for customers through our blog, our official media channels where it's desirable. But some of them are often top-secret until they launch, and some teams try to derive some competitive edge from that. We're open to that too. So there might an announcement of the sort that 'Epic has awarded $20,000 in grants to an awesome project that is still unannounced, so stay tuned for details later".

Epic Games won't be taking any share of the game's revenue, with the team behind the games being submitted retaining the rights to their intellectual property. As for the money they receive from Epic Games through the Unreal Dev Grants program, the teams can do whatever they want with the money. It can almost be seen as a recognition from Epic, a gift, that the teams can do what they want with. In saying that, Epic Games is looking past this program, as they're looking at supporting educational projects, university programs, government and military projects, too.


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Zuckerberg says he'd like to work with Google on Internet.org project
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has big goals for his company's Internet.org campaign, designed to bring affordable, reliable Internet access to people across the world. Ideally, the organization will be able to shorten the technological gap of citizens, especially in developing nations where there are plenty of mobile users - but unreliable Internet access.

Zuckerberg launched Internet.org in 2013 and Facebook has largely worked behind-the-scenes with Samsung, Qualcomm, Ericsson and other corporate partners. A free mobile app has been released in a number of nations, giving users access to Facebook, Google Search, AccuWeather - creating opportunities for first-time users to benefit from connected services.

"Yeah, our team is in contact with them frequently, and I talk to a number of folks over there," said Zuckerberg, in an interview on Studio 1.0 on Bloomberg Television. "When we launched in Zambia, Google was actually one of the services that was in the Internet.org suite, and that's valuable. In addition to health services and education, jobs and different government services and communication tools, people need to be able to search and find information. And whether we work with Google or others on that in all of these other countries, I think that is an important thing. I'd love to work with Google. They are a great search product."


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Harmonix reportedly working on a new Rock Band for Xbox One and PS4
Rock Band was a staple of parties and catch ups with friends, but with the PS4 and Xbox One now here, it's all but dried up. That is, until a new report from Bloomberg teased that Harmonix is working on a new Rock Band title for the PS4 and Xbox One consoles.

Harmonix was asked to comment on the news, with the developer telling Eurogamer: "We're excited by how enthusiastic our fans have been in regards to our most recent DLC releases, and we think it's awesome that people are speculating about the future of the franchise!" The developer continued: "While we don't have anything to announce, hundreds of thousands of unique users are still actively playing Rock Band games each month. This passion our fans have shown for Rock Band over the years suggests that rock truly hasn't died, and we've always been clear that we'd love to return to the franchise when the time is right".

Considering the last Rock Band game was released in 2012 as Rock Band Blitz, it's about damn time we see another Rock Band game, especially with the new consoles now here!


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Sony will be hosting its own Project Morpheus event during GDC 2015
With Sony pulling out of most of its markets and concentrating on mostly camera sensors and its PlayStation console, it should come as no surprise that the company is set to focus on its PS4-based VR headset, Project Morpheus, at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2015.

Sony will be giving hands-on demos of its system, as well as more details on its plans for its VR headset. We don't know what Sony will be showing off exactly, as the company could surprise the world with an updated version of Project Morpheus, which is what I want to see. Almost like the DK2 to the DK1 from Oculus VR, as Oculus has even passed that with the latest Crescent Bay prototype.

We will be reporting about all things GDC 2015 as the event kicks off early next month in San Francisco.


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Epic Games founder: VR will look as good as real life within 10 years
Tim Sweeney, the founder of Epic Games and the brain behind the Unreal Engine, has said that there are some insane things going on with VR right now, but a lot of them aren't being shown to the public.

Sweeney was interviewed recently, where he said that he expects VR hardware and headsets to double in quality every few years for the next decade. He added that it will reach a point in around 10 years from now, that it will be hard to tell the difference between the VR world, and the real-world that surrounds you right now.

Oculus VR is expected to launch its first consumer-ready version of the Oculus Rift sometime this year, which I'm sure we're going to hear more about at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) which kicks off in just a couple of weeks time.


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Sony to more than double down on its investment into PlayStation
It's kind of an end of an era for Sony, with the Japanese giant falling on its sword in multiple of its failing divisions. We've seen the company sell of its VAIO laptop business, which is now making a comeback, but there's some more news that many will be sad over.

Sony wants to make a 25-fold increase in its profits, by concentrating on products that actually make the company money. Considering the company has just recorded its sixth net loss in seven years, many can see why. Sony's stock on the other hand has actually grown by 80% in the last 12 months, as its CEO, Kaz Hirai, has been restructuring the core of Sony's business.

Hirai has been able to do this by focusing on making less products, to ensure they're making the right products, that sell well. This effort of restructuring will continue, but now the company has announced it will be pulling out of more markets. In the end, Sony will be making the PlayStation its near sole purpose, as well as making Sony camera sensors for companies like Apple. The company has thought of pulling out of the TV market with its Bravia brand, as LG and Samsung have been making serious inroads in the TV business over the years.

But alternatively, if Sony is putting all of its eggs into the PlayStation basket, this could be a good thing for the PlayStation. Maybe we'll see multiple consoles released with a proper high-end unit in the PlayStation 5 that is capable of 4K at 60Hz+, and 1440p at 120Hz+ that can be used with the consumer version of its VR headset, Project Morpheus. I'm kind of excited, to be honest.


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NSA hacked into largest SIM card maker, accessing billions of phones
Just days after we reported that the NSA had backdoor access to the firmware level of major HDD manufacturers in Seagate and Western Digital, Edward Snowden is back with new information that the National Security Agency (NSA) and its British partner GCHQ hacked into Gemalto. Gemalto, is a Netherlands SIM card manufacturer, the largest in the world.

Gemalto makes two billion SIM cards each year, with the NSA hacking into the company and stealing its encryption keys, giving them access to secretly monitor both voice calls and data. The Intercept reported on the news, which has reportedly provided spy agencies with the ability of secretly monitoring gigantic portions of the world's cellular communications, which experts have said is a major violation of international laws. Considering Gemalto makes SIM cards for companies like AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, you can begin to see the scope of this hack by the US government agency. Gemalto itself operates in some 85 countries around the world, providing SIM cards to over 450 wireless network providers.

With the NSA having these encryption keys in its hands, it has the power to monitor mobile communications "without the approval of telecom companies and foreign governments", reports The Guardian. This is something I talked about in my last OpEd, where the Obama administration needs to address it, and as I said "The NSA needs to be ripped apart, and its powers neutered". Most people think that 3G and 4G mobile networks have their calls encrypted, and while they might be, but with the keys that the NSA and GCHQ have, it's like they are living "in the phone".

Chris Soghoian, Principal Technologist at the American Civil Liberties Union, has said that this new hack by the NSA allows them to "put an aerial up on the embassy in Berlin and listen in to anyone's calls in the area". Soghoian added that it's now next to impossible for anyone to fully trust their smartphone. He added: "It is very unlikely that this is an issue that is going to be fixed anytime soon. There is no reason for people to trust AT&T, Verizon or anyone at this point. Their systems are hopelessly insecure".

The full piece by The Guardian is a great eye-opening read, even if it feels like it's a continuation of 1984.


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David Thodey steps down as CEO of Telstra, Andrew Penn as replacement
Today it was announced that David Thodey will be stepping down as the Telstra CEO, with chief financial officer and group executive international, Andrew Penn, taking up the role as of May 1, 2015.

As revealed this morning by Telstra chairman Catherine Livingston, Thodey was praised as an "outstanding chief executive," with further mention that the company has seen a double in their value since his appointment in 2009. Thodey, 60, will be helping Penn transition into the position over the next few months - stating that "our journey to being a world class customer service organization is generational progress. We have achieved much change but there is a lot more to do."

Working in Melbourne, Australia - Penn will be receiving a fixed remuneration package of $2.325m, including superannuation and the eligibility of short-term incentives. It might sound like quite a lot, however Telstra has reported another record half-yearly profit, with its $2.085 billion figure meaning a 22.4 percent increase when compared to the previous period.


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ESL announce $250,000 CS:GO competition in Cologne
Set inside the 15,000-seat stadium called Lanxess Arena, the second largest multifunction arena in Europe, ESL has announced they will be running the "world's largest CS:GO event" on August 22 and 23, 2015.

This tournament marks the fourth time ESL has offered $250,000 on the table in only two years, however this event has been reported by HLTV to be financed and conducted directly by ESL - with no skin or sticker monetary support from the community.

The team qualification details have not yet been released, however we are told that there will be 16 teams in total fighting it out for the top spot. We also know that live spectator tickets will be available for purchase on February 23 through Eventim and various other ticketing agencies.

Ulrich Schulze, Managing Director of Pro Gaming at ESL, is excited by this news, stating "we had the honor of hosting two US$250,000 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournaments last year as part of the ESL One esports tour, and this year we plan on stepping it up," adding "ESL One Cologne is going to be the largest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive event in the world. Taking place in the biggest indoor arena in Germany, we're sure it'll be a massive hit for fans from all over."


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Gartner: Market for refurbished smartphones to reach 120M by2017
The worldwide market for refurbished mobile phones sold to end users will increase from 56 million units in 2014 up to 120 million units by 2017, according to the Gartner analyst group.

Consumers in mature markets upgrade their smartphones on average of every 18 to 20 months, opening the door to a lucrative used market. Seven percent of those devices are recycled, 23 percent are handed down, and 41 percent are traded or sold privately.

"This rise in smartphone reuse will impact not only the sales of new units, but also the revenue streams of all those involved in the smartphone supply chain," said Meike Escherich, principal research analyst at Gartner. "Stakeholders that are already participating in take-back or trade-in programs need to have a strategy for turning used devices into a positive asset."

For consumers looking to give away or sell their smartphone after upgrading, they need to verify all personal information has been wiped. If not, they open themselves up to potential data issues, as their data could be vulnerable.


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Movies nominated for an Oscar see surge in Internet piracy
Following news of which films are up for Oscars, online piracy of nominated movies increased 385 percent since January 15, according to the Irdeto piracy monitoring firm.

Irdeto uses a crawler to monitor torrent downloads, and saw increased interest following the Oscar nominations - largely due to increased media coverage - with screener films sometimes leaked online.

"Hollywood screeners specifically accounted for a substantial 31 percent of the total illegal downloads tracked between January 15 and February 14," according to Irdeto, as published by TorrentFreak. "Six nominated movies currently unavailable for retail purchase on Blu-ray, DVD, VOD or legal streaming/download sites saw the majority of piracy coming directly from these screeners: American Sniper, The Imitation Game, Wild, Selma, Whiplash and Still Alice."

Irdeto confirmed that each download doesn't correlate with a lost movie rental or purchase, but will harm movies because they may not be classified as a "blockbuster." To counter online piracy, studios should consider using custom release windows when movies are released, and then available for rentals and purchases.


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Lenovo will no longer pre-install controversial Superfish PC adware
Computer manufacturer Lenovo will no longer pre-install the controversial Superfish adware on PCs and laptops, due to growing public backlash from customers. Cybersecurity experts warned Superfish potentially left them vulnerable, after injecting advertisements to browsers.

"The way the Superfish functionality appears to work means that they must be intercepting traffic in order to insert ads," said Eric Rand, researcher for Brown Hat Security, in a statement to Reuters. "This amounts to a wiretap."

Lenovo must now answer questions regarding its use of Superfish, including how long it was pre-installed, and how much data was collected by the software. Superfish was installed on consumer PCs and notebooks only.

"The technology instantly analyzes images on the Web and presents identical and similar product offers that may have lower prices, helping users search for images without knowing exactly what an item is called or how to describe it in a typical text-based search engine," Lenovo publicly stated regarding the Superfish software. "When a user is interested in a product, Superfish will search instantly among more than 70,000 stores to find similar items and compare prices so the user can make the best decision on product and price."


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Serial Cables 24-bay 12Gbps SAS Enterprise JBOD Enclosure Review

Introduction

Serial Cables has a history of providing a wide range of cabling and specialty items, including fibre channel (cables and FSP's), HD SAS/SATA, SCSI, PCIe, and Infiniband cabling. Serialcables.com also supplies adaptors and accessories, along with wiring diagrams and pictures of all the products they supply. Serial Cables is a certified LSI Channel Alliance Partner and SandForce Trusted Partner, and they are the exclusive North American distribution partner for SerialTek.

Serial Cables provided their inaugural product geared for lab environments and testing applications with their eight-bay 12Gb/s JBOD. In our Serial Cables SA-ENC12G-01A 12Gb/s SAS3 JBOD External Storage Review, we found the JBOD offers a solid platform with quality components.

The success of the eight-port model led to development of larger 24-bay models. Serial Cables is expanding their presence in the market by offering their new SA-ENC12G-024A 24-port Direct Attach JBOD. The JBOD is specifically designed to meet the needs of 2.5" HDD/SSD testing environments, but also works well in production environments, particularly when paired with an expander, or when purchased with optional internal expanders. 12Gb/s SAS requires low-loss and high-quality PCB assemblies due to a requirement for enhanced transmit and receive equalization. The Direct Attach JBOD satisfies these requirements with quality components and internal cabling. The enclosure comes in a 19" 2U rack-mountable form factor.

Serial Cables also offers a larger 24-bay SAS/SATA test box that features individual, and replaceable, interposers. This larger version also offers individual drive power control, and current measurement, via CLI with USB, Telnet, or Ethernet connections. That enclosure provides 800 watts of power, and comes in a rack-mountable 19" configuration.

The SA-ENC12G-024A we are evaluating today is available in two configurations. As a direct attach model there are no expanders, and each drive is accessible via dual-port connections. There is also the option of 48-port 12Gb/s SAS expanders for storage environments requiring expanded high-availability features, and customers can tailor the device for their needs by selecting either one or two 12Gb/s LSI SAS 3x48 expanders for the chassis.

The 12Gb/s backplane leverages SFF-8680 connectors and SFF-8643 internal HD MiniSAS receptacles. For external connectivity, the JBOD provides 12 SFF-8644 HD MiniSAS receptacles. Each drive is addressable in single-port or dual-port mode.

A notable step forward from the eight-port model is the redundant PSUs featured on the 24-port model. These feature two 38X38X28 DC fans per module, and the 48-pin modules are hot-swappable/hot-pluggable. Each module also features its own AC inlet, and is rated for a total output power of 500 watts.

The JBOD features plenty of airflow, along with a rugged design that is well suited for test environments. The Intel lab recently conducted testing for the Intel RAID Performance 12Gb/s SAS RAID Controllers whitepaper with the eight-bay and 24-bay Serial Cables JBODs. From performance characterization to device verification, and even production environments, the Serial Cables Direct Attach JBOD is designed to meet the needs of demanding users. Let's load it up with an array of 12Gb/s SAS SSDs, and test its performance.
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