IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 3/5/2015

Valve announces Steam Link, to extend Steam anywhere in your house
GDC 2015 - Valve has just announced Steam Link, something that will be released later this year and will "extend your Steam experience to any room in the house". Steam Link will work with your PC, Mac, Steam Machines and even Linux-powered systems. It will stream content from Steam to the Steam Link device, with the only requirement is that they're on the same network.

Valve's new Steam Link will be capable of 1080p at 60Hz "with low latency", and will be made later this year in November for $49.99. The company also took the opportunity to announce its new Steam Controller, which will also be available in November.

Steam Link is "designed to take advantage of the PC horsepower you already have in your home, with In-Home Streaming" while the hardware includes three USB ports, and HDMI out. All you have to do is hook it up to your TV through HDMI, into your network, with Steam Link doing the rest of the work to detect any and all computers in your house running Steam.


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AT&T wants connected homes and vehicles to better communicate
AT&T is strengthening its connected technology offering, saying it will link car and smart home technologies to provide even better service to customers. The company didn't provide financial revenue figures related to IoT, but said it has sold around 20 million connected sensors, while creating new partnerships with US automakers.

"Once you've told your home when the car is (for instance) within 20 feet of the house to please open the garage door, put the lights on, turn the alarm off, move the thermostat up, you can have those inanimate objects, the home and your car, really taking care of you," said Glenn Lurie, chief executive of AT&T Mobility, in a statement to Reuters.

There is a growing fight among ISPs and wireless carriers to help power connected services, as AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Google, and other major companies jump into the market.


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Unity 5 announced, will be royalty free as a 'Personal Edition'
GDC 2015 - Unity Technologies has just announced Unity 5 at the Game Developers Conference, which will include a free, no-royalty Personal Edition to be used by small companies.

Unity 5 is capable of some pretty delicious graphics, as you can see from the screenshots above. Unity CEO John Riccitiello has said that Unity 5 is a "graphics powerhouse", and while it's not as good looking as some competing engines like Unreal Engine 4, we're still impressed. Oculus VR is right behind Unity 5, with Oculus VR founder and VR God himself Palmer Luckey also taking the stage during the Unity 5 announcement.

Luckey said: "The majority of the virtual reality experiences we've seen have been built with Unity technology. We're trying to make virtual reality available to everyone, not just consumers, but developers". Unity 5 will have Oculus Rift support very shortly, with Luckey adding "We've been collaborating for over two years with Unity and the results are awesome. It is really smooth and seamless now ... we have the ability to preview and publish to GearVR and Rift instantly".

Unity 5 will be made free for certain developers, while the Professional Edition will include everything for $1500 outright, or $75 per month. No royalties will be collected by the company, which means it's cheaper than Unreal Engine 4, which secures a 5% royalty after $3000 in sales per quarter are made.


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Steam Machines will begin their lounge room takeover in November
GDC 2015 - Valve has unleashed the Steam Link, Steam Controller pricing and availability as well as the Source 2 engine at GDC 2015. But the company has also teased that Steam Machines will be made available in November.

Valve said in a press release: "Steam Machines will start at the same price point as game consoles, with higher performance". Valve will also be launching the new Steam Controller at the same time, as well as Steam Link which will extend Steam throughout your house over your current network.

The company is currently showing off over a dozen Steam Machines from partners like Alienware and Falcon Northwest, where they added: "Steam Machines will start at the same price point as game consoles, with higher performance. Customers interested in the best possible gaming experience can choose whichever components meet their needs".


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NVIDIA announces GRID will stream 1080p 60FPS games to you soon
GDC 2015 - NVIDIA is live at the Game Developers Conference with its "Made To Game" event where we've just been told that the company has made its GRID service a game-streaming service, which will start streaming games to users very soon.

NVIDIA's GRID will be streaming games at 1080p at 60FPS, which will be under its Premium service. The standard service will be streaming games at 720p 60FPS, but the Premium service is where the gamers are going to want to hit.


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Google announce LTE-A, a Google-powered mobile network
In an interesting, but not so surprising announcement, Google has announced Google LTE-A. Google LTE-A is a "next generation cellular network, brought to you by Google".

Yes, in the future you will be able to connect to a Google mobile network, instead of your usual cellular network like AT&T or T-Mobile. Google has said that this could be the Nexus of the mobile network market, but we don't yet know if they'll operate as their own MVNO or not yet. The Mountain View-based search giant has opened up a Twitter account for Google LTE-A, but as soon as we have more information on it, we'll report it as it breaks.


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NVIDIA Shield enters the living room, amplifying your TV experience
GDC 2015 - NVIDIA has announced the latest Shield, designed for your living room. The new Shield is "incredibly thin" which has Ethernet, USB connectivity, HDMI, and more.

The new NVIDIA Shield is the world's first 4K-capable Android TV, with 4K decoding and H.265 and 10-bit video processing. The video on the NVIDIA Shield is "absolutely gorgeous" according to CEO Jen-Hsun Huang. The new NVIDIA Shield is capable of 4K at 60FPS, not 4K at 30Hz on most other devices. This is thanks to the incredible Tegra X1 processor inside of the Shield, something NVIDIA unveiled at CES earlier this year. We have 256 GPU cores, 3GB of RAM, and more. That's twice the power of the Xbox 360, with 1/5 the amount of power required.

NVIDIA also announced a beautiful remote to go along with the Shield, with just a few buttons on the front of it for simplicity. There's bi-directional Bluetooth, with voice control and a microphone on the top of it. A one-click, one-touch voice search button is also baked onto it. There's a Bluetooth receiver inside, so you can plug in your headphones directly into the remote, which is a very nice touch.

Surprisingly, you'll never have to replace the batteries as it's rechargeable over a USB cable.

NVIDIA will be selling the new Shield at an incredible $199, included in that $199, is the Shield Controller.


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Sony's VR headset for the PS4 will ship in 2016 with a 1080p display
GDC 2015 - Sony has detailed its PS4 headset during GDC 2015, which is much better than the one that they've shown off a few times now. Project Morpheus will ship in the first half of 2016, but we don't have any pricing just now.

The latest version of Project Morpheus features an OLED-based 1920x1080 display with options for the framerate between 60FPS and 120FPS. Inside of the PS4 exclusive VR headset it a 5.7-inch panel with 360-degree tracking, with Sony teasing that it has super-low latency, which is under half of what the previous prototypes of Project Morpheus has had until now.

Sony has said that you'll be able to wear glasses underneath Project Morpheus, which is designed to have a single band that goes over your head. Sony will be detailing Project Morpheus in more detail at E3 2015 in June.


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AMD announce Liquid VR, with the goal of removing latency from VR
GDC 2015 - AMD has just jumped into the VR game with the announcement of Liquid VR, a new software development kit that wants to see the presence in VR improved.

One of the biggest problems with the future of VR gaming is the latency - the time in which moving your head, and seeing that movement happen in the virtual world, is measured. This needs to be as small as possible, with the hope of removing it completely. In order to achieve this, the software and GPU need to be tweaked to the max.

AMD has teased that multi-GPU, hardware-accelerated time warp, and direct-to-display technologies within its Liquid VR. Starting with hardware-accelerated time warp, which uses updated information to the user wearing the VR headset, and the position of their head after a frame has been rendered, and then it warps the image to reflect the new viewpoint as soon as it sends it to the headset.

The multi-GPU side of things will see each independant GPU in your system, which would end up being a Radeon R9 390X or so, with each card rendering a separate eye, and then into the single image that is blasted to your VR headset. The direct-to-display part of Liquid VR sees users with the ability to boot directly into the VR display.


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Valve announces its Source 2 engine, 'free to content developers'
GDC 2015 - Valve has announced Source 2, the graphics engine that will most likely power Half-Life 3, if it ever arrives. The new Source engine has been teased for a while now, we it appeared in some DOTA 2 code a while back.

The new Source 2 engine, according to Valve's Jay Stelly: "With Source 2 our focus is increasing creator productivity. Given how important user generated content is becoming, Source 2 is designed not just for the professional developer, but enabling gamers themselves to participate in the creation and development of their favourite games".

Just like Unreal Engine 4 and Unity 5, Valve's new Source 2 is also "free to content developers". Valve tease: "This combined with recent announcements from Epic and Unity will help continue the PC's dominance as the premiere content authoring platform".


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Gartner: Smartphone sales topped more than 1 billion in 2014
There were more than 1 billion smartphones sold worldwide in 2014, according to the Gartner research group. Apple topped the list with 20.4 Q4 market share, ahead of Samsung (19.9 percent), Lenovo (6.6 percent), Huawei (5.7 percent), and Xiaomi (5.1 percent). Apple sold 74.8 million units in Q4, with the successful launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models.

Samsung continued to lose market share, dropping 10 percentage points during Q4 2014, according to Gartner. The company is facing increased pressure from Lenovo, Huawei and Xiaomi, with all three companies expanding sales efforts - with Lenovo and Huawei expected to increase sales and marketing efforts in the United States.

"With Apple dominating the premium phone market and the Chinese vendors increasingly offering quality hardware at lower prices, it is through a solid ecosystem of apps, content and services unique to Samsung devices that Samsung can secure more loyalty and longer-term differentiation at the high-end of the market," said Roberta Cozza, research director at Gartner.


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Sony says free-to-play growing part of digital business
Sony wants to cash in on the rising number of free-to-play game titles for the PlayStation 4 game console, with officials saying there has been continued growth of free-to-play.

"We're really looking at this as a significant part of our digital business," said Sara Thomson, senior account executive of the free-to-play business at Sony, during GDC. "I think that it's going to be a really big chunk of our revenues in the next few years; 3-5 years. And it's already growing at amazing rates that are really quite surprising."

The gaming market has changed and more free-to-play games helped cause a shift among game studios and console makers - with great long-term potential of free-to-play games on consoles, according to Sony.

"So we think that's great news. I think that it is really stabilizing the business. And I think it's future-proofing us. I think that it's really taking us into where we need to be as a company. As a company, we do fully believe in free-to-play."


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Huawei plans its invasion of US market with smartphones, wearables
Huawei, the No. 2 largest smartphone manufacturer in China, plans to begin increased sales and marketing efforts in the United States. The company wants to focus on promoting smartphones and wearable devices, including sports team sponsorships, advertising and online promotion of its products to US consumers.

To win over US consumers, Huawei will launch cheaper low-end phones and higher-end smartphones, while creating partnerships with US wireless carriers - and major retailers. Analysts are curious to see if carriers and e-tailers will be reluctant to partner with Huawei, though there is time for relationships to be nurtured.

Just two years ago, the US said Huawei was a national security threat - a lesser concern following increased knowledge of US surveillance operations. However, Huawei faces a bigger battle trying to compete with Apple and Samsung in the United States, as both companies aren't willing to give up market share without a major fight.


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Lawyer: Edward Snowden wants to return to US if given fair trial
Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden wants to return to the United States in the future, but needs guarantees of a fair trial. The only promise he has been given is that he wouldn't face the death penalty if he is convicted - and privacy advocates believe the US government, which wants to do anything to get him into custody, cannot be trusted.

"He is thinking about it," said Anatoly Kucherena, a Russian lawyer representing Snowden, during a recent news conference. "He has a desire to return and we are doing everything we can to make it happen. Snowden is ready to return to the United States, but on the condition that he is given a guarantee of a legal and impartial trial."

Kucherena also noted that he is working with a group of international lawyers to determine the best method for Snowden's potential return to the United States. Snowden has a three-year Russian residency, but would likely face immediate arrest if he tried to leave Russia.


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LG's new Watch Urbane is a seriously slick piece of smartwatch
MWC 2015 - LG teased its new Android Wear-powered Watch Urbane and Watch Urbane LTE not long ago now, but we have spent some time with it at MWC 2015, in our video below.

The LG Watch Urbane features a 1.3-inch P-OLED display with a 320x320 resolution display, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 400 processor at 1.2GHz, and a 410mAh battery. The Watch Urbane replaces LG's Watch R as the flagship wearable from the South Korean electronics giant.

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VisionTek DataVault 3S Interlocking Stackable Storage Case Review

Many of us in this day and age own a plethora of portable storage solutions. Whether they be microSD, SD or flash drives, one thing we have always lacked was a place to store these solutions. While many of us being resourceful have utilized makeshift solutions using random plastic boxes or have even went as far as 3D printing a caddy to fit our drives, VisionTek has now come to market with a stackable storage solution that aims to solve our needs.

The DataVault 3S is a purpose media storage solution aimed at consumers needing the ability to store various types of media ranging from 3.5" hard drives to microSD cards. The top tray or case one as VisionTek calls it has the ability to hold a single 3.5" HDD as one option or you can store four 9mm 2.5" drives or up to six 7mm drives. Case two houses all the smaller media types such as ten SD, four micro SD and two Compact flash solutions. In addition, case two has a single slot available for your most frequently used 2.5" solution. With all of these capabilities, VisionTek has managed to keep the overall footprint of the solution rather small. Dimensions for the DataVault come in at 175mm x 118mm.

MSRP of the VisionTek DataVault 3S is listed at $15.99 with a one-year warranty.

Packaging for the DataVault 3S houses an image of the stackable case design on the front of the box. Below we have marketing features listed out.

Flipping the box over, we have a few more details about the product with more imagery below.

Looking at the front of the DataVault 3S, we found each case to have a customizable label on the front of each tray a feature that is great for those that want to dive a little deeper into organizing their media.

Above, we have what VisionTek considers case one. This case is meant to hold a single 3.5" hard drive or up to six 2.5" drives at 7mm a piece. However, while we could have filled this area of the DataVault up with those drives quite easily, I found it quite stunning if I'm honest, that this solution had no designated place for flash drives. I mean, people are still using flash drives, right? With that said, I proceeded to lay a few flash drives into this case, and ended up with a maximum of twenty-two drives. While this really isn't practical, as no one wants to shuffle through all their drives to find what they are looking for, it does work if needed.

Next up we take a look at case two. This case houses an insert for smaller media types and as you can see in the image above, it is quite capable of holding those devices. With our sample, we placed a few of each type in their respective places, and while everything fit as intended, as you can imagine, I'm not really liking the layout of this case either, but we will get to that in the conclusion.

The DataVault 3S from VisionTek holds quite a bit of value for those needing a solution to store multiple types of media. The build quality of the unit is more than acceptable with ABS plastics as the primary build material, while the ESD foam built into case two ensures a static free environment for your smaller media types.

As I stated above, I found the lack of designated flash drive storage to be puzzling at best. While SD and microSD solutions certainly have their place, we don't necessarily need 2.5" storage in case two which would free up room for a few of your favourite flash drives. Case one needs ESD foam as well to securely fit 2.5" drives of course removable for those that want to store a 3.5" solution, or they could alternatively offer ESD foam that would hold flash drives.

In addition to that, I found that the bottom tray or case two was quite difficult to open when sitting on the desk because of the lack of feet or risers to accommodate a fingers width to grab hold of the tray.

With all of that said, in the stock configuration the unit comes with, I had no issues when placing any type of media the unit was set up for, they all hold their respective device securely without issue. While each person's needs will certainly be different, this only serves as an indicator that this could really be an amazing solution if VisionTek decides to take it further and offer more options in regards to storage needs, but at any rate, the DataVault 3S is a fairly good start, we just hope they continue to develop it.

PRICING: You can find the VisionTek Products DataVault 3S, Storage Box for Digital Media (900747) 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 VisionTek Products DataVault 3S, Storage Box for Digital Media (900747) retails for $15.95 at Amazon.

Canada: The VisionTek Products DataVault 3S, Storage Box for Digital Media (900747) retails for CDN$33.60 at Amazon Canada.

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Phanteks Announces Enthoo EVOLV ITX Chassis
Phanteks introduce their first Mini-ITX, a budget oriented chassis that uses metal exterior, to their EVOLV lineup in the Enthoo Series. The case has many useful features, such as a unique bracket solution for a radiator on top and a multi-functional mid plate bracket for a reservoir, pump, and SSD/HDD.

The Enthoo EVOLV ITX retains the minimalist design from the original EVOLV and features a metal exterior. The case measures at 9.1 x 14.8 x 15.6 inches and is equipped with 1x PH-F200SP fan, front I/O port, 1x SSD Bracket, and 2x 3.5" removable HDD bracket.

The EVOLV ITX is capable of high-end video card up to 13 inches in length and supports serious water-cooling. The EVOLV offers a unique bracket solution for the radiator to be mounted on top without any conflicts between the radiator and memory. Extra storage is possible with the included Drop-N-Lock SSD bracket and a Multifunctional mid plate Bracket which allows for mounting reservoir, pump, and SSD/HDD.

There are many upgrade options for the EVOLV ITX. Accessories like, the 3.5" HDD bracket (PH-HDDKT_01), SSD Brackets (PH-SDBKT_01/PH-SDBKT_02), Pump Bracket (PH-PUMBKT_01), and the PWM hub (PH-PWHUB_01) are all compatible with the EVOLV ITX.

Available from March 2015, the Enthoo EVOLV ITX is priced at US $79.99.


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SanDisk Unveils the World's Highest Capacity microSD Card
SanDisk Corporation, a global leader in flash storage solutions, today introduced the 200GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC UHS-I card, Premium Edition, the world's highest capacity microSD card for use in mobile devices. In just one year after introducing its record-breaking 128GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC card, SanDisk has increased storage capacity by 56% within the same fingernail-sized form factor. Keeping up with the demands of today's mobile users, the new card provides the freedom to capture, save and share photos, videos and other files without worrying about storage limitations.

"Mobile devices are completely changing the game. Seven out of 10 images captured by consumers are now from smartphones and tablets. Consumers view mobile-first devices as their primary means for image capture and sharing, and by 2019 smartphones and tablets will account for nine out of 10 images captured," said Christopher Chute, Vice President, Worldwide Digital Imaging Practice, IDC. "As the needs of mobile users continue to change, SanDisk is on the forefront of delivering solutions for these demands as is clearly illustrated through their growing portfolio of innovative products, including the new 200GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC card."

SanDisk achieved this capacity breakthrough by leveraging the proprietary technology developed last year for the 128GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC card, and creating a new design and production process that allows for more bits per die.

"We continue to push technology boundaries to deliver record-breaking solutions that transform the way consumers use their mobile devices," said Dinesh Bahal, vice president, product marketing, SanDisk. "By focusing on achieving new capacity and speed milestones, we are able to deliver trusted mobile memory solutions that give consumers the freedom to never stop capturing, saving, or sharing - with the benefit of fast speeds to transfer it all quickly."

Ideal for Android smartphone and tablet users, this Premium Edition microSD card combines the world's highest capacity and blazingly fast transfer speed of up to 90MB/s to deliver premium performance. At this transfer speed, consumers can expect to move up to 1,200 photos per minute2.

Through SanDisk's updated Memory Zone app users will have even greater control over their mobile device's memory storage. In the Memory Zone app, users can engage the OptiMem app feature which monitors the phone's memory levels to inform users whenever the internal memory falls below a user-defined threshold. Once this threshold is reached, the OptiMem app feature will automatically transfer some of their old photos and videos to their microSD card, leaving them with more internal memory to continue making memories. The app, available for free download from the Google Play store, is compatible with most Android-powered devices and allows users to easily locate, organize, transfer and back up data.

Pricing and Availability

The 200GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC UHS-I card, Premium Edition, features a ten-year limited warranty and will be available worldwide in Q2 at an MSRP of $399.99.


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SanDisk Intros Two Smartphone-friendly Flash Drives
SanDisk Corporation, a global leader in flash storage solutions, today introduced two new, innovative mobile memory solutions that help consumers manage and transfer content captured on their favorite devices. The company's first Dual USB Drive with Type C connector, ideal for Type C-ready connected devices, and the 128GB iXpand Flash Drive, designed for iPhone and iPad, both enable consumers to quickly and easily transfer content directly from a mobile device to a Mac or PC computer.

According to a recent industry report from IDC, this year people will capture and share an estimated 1.6 trillion images, and seven out of 10 of those images will be captured on a mobile device. With this rising trend, users want to be able to easily share and store their content across multiple devices and operating systems - in a seamless, intuitive and secure way.

"With the rapidly increasing amount of content captured on mobile devices, we know that consumers want easy ways to manage it all. In fact, our research shows that 82% of US smartphone users find transferring of photos, videos, music and other files to be very important to them, and 67% would like new, easy ways of transferring those files," said Dinesh Bahal, vice president, product marketing, SanDisk. "We are focused on delivering memory solutions designed to simplify the transfer process, while also providing expanded storage capacity so they can keep capturing and sharing great memories."

SanDisk's First Dual USB Drive with Type C Connector

According to a recent report from Strategy Analytics, by 2016 12% of handsets alone will feature Type C connectors. Anticipating significant demand for this new platform, SanDisk is introducing its first-ever USB flash drive with a Type C connector. The new Dual USB Drive features a Type C connector on one end and a USB 3.0 on the other for fast and easy transfer between next-generation devices and PC or Mac computers. The new Dual USB Drive will initially be available in a 32GB capacity.

The Dual USB Drive with Type C connector also works with the SanDisk Memory Zone app, which gives users even greater control over their mobile device's memory storage. The app, available for free download from the Google Play store, is compatible with most Android-powered devices and allows users to easily locate, organize, transfer and back up data. When the device is connected, the Memory Zone app auto-launches, and allows users to easily manage and transfer content between their mobile device and the drive.

New, Higher Capacity 128GB iXpand Flash Drive for iPhone and iPad

SanDisk's popular iXpand Flash drive is designed to quickly transfer photos and videos from iPhone or iPad to Mac or PC computers - without cables, pre-settings, Internet connections, data caps or bandwidth limitations. In response to customer demand, SanDisk is now offering a new 128GB iXpand Flash Drive. When used with the new iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2 or iPad mini 3 128GB models, the new iXpand Flash Drive instantly doubles the available storage for photos and videos, music, and other multimedia files.

The well-rated and full-featured iXpand Sync app, available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad allows users to automatically sync, backup and transfer photos and videos. It launches when the iXpand Flash Drive is plugged into an iPhone or iPad.

Additionally, the iXpand flash drive enables effortless playback of videos and music directly from the drive, including non-native and PC-friendly file formats such as AVI, MKV and WMV67.

The iXpand Sync app also now allows users to take advantage of Apple's Touch ID fingerprint identity sensor on iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5s, iPad Air 2 and iPad mini running iOS 8 to encrypt and decrypt sensitive files on the drive, utilize popular apps to open files from the drive, as well as save content generated by these apps directly to the drive.

Pricing and Availability

The 32GB SanDisk Dual USB Drive with Type C connector features a two-year warranty8 and will be available worldwide in Q2.

The iXpand Flash Drive features a two-year warranty8. It's available in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities, with MSRPs of $59.99 to $149.99, and is compatible with iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 2, iPad mini and iPod touch (5th generation) running iOS 8 or iOS 7. The 128GB drive is available immediately at http://www.SanDisk.com, and will available next month at leading retailers worldwide.

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SanDisk Intros First Memory Cards Designed for Dashcams
SanDisk Corporation, a global leader in flash storage solutions, today introduced the company's first high endurance microSDXC memory card built to withstand up to 10,000 hours of Full HD Video recording.

Leveraging its deep expertise in NAND flash and systems technology capabilities, SanDisk developed a proprietary technology and process to enable high-intensity recording. Through rigorous testing, the new technology has proven itself to enable the company to reach a new milestone -- a 64GB microSDXC card that allows consumers to write and rewrite up to 10,000 hours of Full HD video recording.

The new SanDisk High Endurance Video Monitoring microSDXC/microSDHC cards are designed specifically for dash cameras and home video monitoring systems, ensuring drivers and homeowners have reliable video evidence at their fingertips. The high endurance card is also available in 32GB capacity, which can withstand up to 5,000 hours of Full HD recording.

With the new SanDisk High Endurance Video Monitoring microSDHC/microSDXC cards, security-minded consumers no longer have to worry about their card sustaining long-term, continuous recording scenarios.

"We are excited to enter this emerging market with a product that marks a significant milestone for the company and industry," said Dinesh Bahal, vice president, product marketing, SanDisk, "We recognized that today's auto and home video monitoring systems require more demanding memory solutions, so we leveraged our expertise to deliver a technologically advanced microSD card that truly meets the needs of this growing market."

Engineered for performance and durability, the SanDisk High Endurance Video Monitoring microSDHC/microSDXC cards are notably designed to weather the elements. Whether out in the rain or snow, or sitting on the dash of a hot car, users can expect seamless performance. The cards have been tested and proven to be shock and waterproof, so they deliver in even the harshest environments.

The SanDisk High Endurance Video Monitoring cards also features Class 10 technology to provide the speeds required to perform in a variety of monitoring systems. The new offerings deliver the capacity, performance and exceptional reliability today's dash cams and in-home video monitoring systems demand to ensure users can capture and utilize the evidence they need.

Pricing and Availability

The SanDisk High Endurance Video Monitoring microSDHC/microSDXC cards feature a two-year warranty and are priced at an MSRP of $84.99 and $149.99 for the 32GB and 64GB capacities, respectively. Initially, the cards will only be available in the United States at SanDisk.com, and select retailers in Europe and South Korea.


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HP Introduces the Spectre x360 Convertible PC
HP today announced the HP Spectre x360, a 13.3 inch convertible PC that delivers an ultra-thin design, the quality customers expect, and performance to get things done.

"Customers are looking for beautiful devices that deliver quality, versatility and portability," said Mike Nash, vice president, portfolio strategy and customer experience, Personal Systems, HP. "The HP Spectre x360 is transformational as it has the productivity of a high-end notebook, tablet mode for on the go, tent mode for play and stand mode for watching entertainment in a stunning ultra-thin device."

x360 Design and Experience for Maximum Versatility

The HP Spectre x360 is designed with an all CNC aluminum chassis and is 15.9 millimeters in height and weighs 3.3 pounds. The device features polished metal on the sides that is achieved using a single machined cut, giving it a jewelry-like finish in a natural silver color.

With the HP Spectre x360, customers get an ultra-thin PC with additional versatility to experience multiple modes in one device. Users can transition seamlessly from notebook mode for work, stand mode for viewing entertainment, tent mode for touchscreen entertainment, or tablet mode for on the go. To ensure the display glides smoothly and stays in place where a user wants it, the HP Spectre x360 has innovative new hinges that contain a set of three spiral gears for synchronized and precise movement. The geared hinge design allows the HP Spectre x360 to maintain the same thin profile in tablet mode that it has when closed.

The HP Spectre x360 includes a full-sized, 1.5 millimeter travel keyboard to offer customers a comfortable and familiar experience. The HP Spectre x360 has an extra-wide glass touchpad for improved day-to-day usability.

Premium Quality, No Compromises

To give customers the battery life they expect, the HP Spectre x360 features a 56-watt hour battery that precisely fits into the CNC aluminum body. Next, HP looked at the biggest driver of battery drain -- the high-resolution touch display. The touch panel on the HP Spectre x360 is optically bonded to the display, increasing brightness and pulling each pixel up to the surface of the display. On models with the Quad HD display, the HP Spectre x360 takes advantage of Panel Self Refresh (PSR) technology which holds images on the screen to allow portions of the PC to power down when nothing on-screen is moving. As a result of these and other focus areas, the HP Spectre x360 delivers up to 12.5 hours of battery life.

HP improved Wi-Fi reliability and performance in the HP Spectre x360 for home, work and on the go. Based on issues identified in real-world testing, the wireless driver is tuned to improve performance on noisy networks and across a wide range of wireless access points. The new antenna slot design featured at the top of the display allows for effective 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz tuning, in every mode -- whether in notebook, stand, tent and tablet. The result is wireless throughput and connect rates that outperform other PCs.

Power and Smart Features for Productivity

The HP Spectre x360 supports Intel Core i5 and i7 processors to tackle the most demanding tasks without lag. With a lightning fast SSD up to 512 GB, customers can expect their PC to turn on instantly and load apps quickly.

The HP Spectre x360 supports both a full-size HDMI and DisplayPort 1.2 compatible ports to allow customers to access content across multiple screens. Customers can also take advantage of the built-in Intel Wireless Display technology to stream content on their living room TV. To accommodate multiple devices and accessories, the HP Spectre x360 has three USB 3.0 ports and with HP USB Sleep and Charge, customers can use the HP Spectre x360 to charge their devices on the go even when in sleep mode.

Pricing and Availability

The HP Spectre x360 is expected to be available in the United States on March 1, 2015 at http://www.hp.com/spectrex360 and Best Buy on March 15, 2015.

The HP Spectre x360 is available in the following configurations:

• HP Spectre x360 with Intel Core i5 Processor, Full HD touchscreen display, 4 GB LPDDR3 system memory and a 128 GB SSD is $899.99.
• HP Spectre x360 with Intel Core i7, Full HD touchscreen, 8 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD is $1149.99.
• HP Spectre x360 with Intel Core i7, Quad HD touchscreen, 8 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD is $1399.99.

The HP Spectre x360 has accessories available today and offered separately, including a HP Premium Leather Sleeve for sophisticated protection and HP Active Pen for writing, drawing, and easy navigation.


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Moshi iLynx 3.0: 4-port USB 3.0 Hits Australia and New Zealand
Moshi is pleased to announce that the iLynx 3.0, an updated and redesigned version of their sleek USB hub, is now available in Australia and coming soon to New Zealand. The iLynx 3.0 is a four-port USB 3.0 hub that connects, charges and syncs up to four USB-enabled devices, supporting data transfer speeds up to 5 Gbps.

iLynx is completely bus-powered with a unique bonus feature: offline charging. When the USB hub is plugged into the wall with the included 30-watt power adapter, users can continue charging their smartphone, tablet or other device thanks to intelligent power management circuitry.

The new Moshi iLynx seamlessly connects to a Mac or PC via the built-in USB cable just under twelve inches long. Users can fully charge and sync their iPad/tablets through a single, dedicated, 10-watt USB port. The other three 5-watt ports can connect an iPhone, Android, or other USB device.

iLynx has an aluminum housing constructed with EMI shielding to minimise interference from wireless signals. Surge and Electrostatic Discharge protection safeguards are designed to keep your devices and data safe and avoid damage during hot-swapping. iLynx is plug and play, with no additional software required.



Did you know:

- iLynx is currently the only USB 3.0 hub on the market that supports fast charging of iOS devices such as iPhones and iPads.

- Many USB 3.0 hubs on the market use sub-standard components resulting in a performance drop of up to 50% vs. a direct-connection.

- Some hubs are so poorly shielded that when USB 3.0 devices are plugged in, they interfere with wireless peripherals such as keyboards and mice operating at 2.4GHz frequency, rendering them inoperable.

Pricing and Availability

Australian and New Zealand Distributor: MacGear

Website: http://www.moshi.com/ilynx-3#siver

Australian Retailers: JB Hi-Fi, http://www.modlifeonline.com.au, http://www.macintoshaddict.com.au

New Zealand Retailers: TBC

iLynx 3.0 - INTL - Silver

$99.99 AUD ($76.89 US Dollar)

Early March 2015

iLynx 3.0 - INTL - Silver

$99.99 NZD ($75.27 US Dollar)

March 2015


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