IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 6/1/2015

The Woz described Edward Snowden as 'a hero to me'
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak described former NSA contractor Edward Snowden as "a hero," as he "gave up his own life... to help the rest of us." Wozniak previously met with Snowden in Moscow sometime in 2014, though it's unknown what the two men discussed.

"Total here to me; total hero," Wozniak recently said in an interview with ArabianBusiness. "Not necessarily [for] what he exposed, but the fact that he internally came form his own heart, his own belief in the United States Constitution, what democracy and freedom was about. And now a federal judge has said that NSA data collection was unconstitutional."

The Woz obviously is a great fan of technology, but has admitted early innovators "didn't realize that in the digital world there were a lot of ways to use the digital technology to control us." That interview was published by CNN in 2013, before Snowden unveiled a widespread NSA surveillance program.

As Snowden remains holed up in Russia, many Internet users may have supported his actions - but high-profile celebrities and tech innovators haven't been as supported to voice their support of him.

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Microsoft Xbox boss confirms company isn't purchasing Silent Hill
Sorry gaming fans, Microsoft Xbox chief Phil Spencer says the company isn't trying to purchase the Silent Hill game franchise from Konami.

@GoReds42093 @Xbox Sorry, this isn't true. Not sure where the rumor started but I don't want to mislead anyone.
- Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) May 30, 2015

Konami is focused on making changes internally, and will make mobile game development a priority moving forward - but that doesn't mean Microsoft can purchase Silent Hills.

"Konami will continue to embrace the challenge of creating entertainment content via different platforms," said Hideki Hayakawa, president of Konami, in a statement published by GameSpot. " Not only mobile platforms, but for home consoles, arcade units, and cards, to meet the changing needs of the times."

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IRS still using Windows XP, and has more than 300 cybersecurity staff
The IRS recently suffered a data breach that left thousands of Americans at risk, and more attention is now focused on government mismanaged. Utilizing a $10.9 billion budget, either the agency is greatly mismanaged and/or the IRS just isn't ready to try to protect taxpayer information.

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There seems to be a lot of problems with the IRS, and that has certainly trickled down to its cybersecurity protocols. The agency still uses Microsoft Windows XP - and while the IRS originally paid Microsoft for support - that support has ended. To make matters worse, some fraud identification software is almost 20 years old.

The IRS previously had 410 cybersecurity team personnel, but that has been slashed down to 363 workers. The idea that IRS personnel are unable to keep up with identity theft is a huge problem, especially as cybercriminals get cleverer.

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Cyclist will use 3D-printed handlebars during record attempt
Technology has helped push the sport of cycling to new levels in recent years, and Sir Bradley Wiggins will use custom 3D-printed handlebars in his hour record attempt.

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Using 3D printing technology, bike manufacturer Pinarello and other sponsors were able to custom fit titanium handlebars designed for Wiggins to remain as aerodynamic as possible. Exact details about the one-piece handlebars will likely remain a secret until his June 7 record attempt.

The hour record has become popular in recent times, with the record being broken multiple times in the past year alone - starting with fan-favorite Jens Voigt setting a 51.115KM pace in September, with it increasing up to 52.937KM by Alex Dowsett in May. Realistically, Wiggins should be able to eclipse Dowsett's record, and some believe he could even reach 55KM in one hour on the velodrome.

This is just another great example of how 3D printing can help provide opportunities to create products that are too difficult to traditionally manufacture.

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GameStop trying to evolve to avoid sharing same fate as Blockbuster
Game retailer GameStop released strong Q1 2015 results, up 8.1 percent (3.34) to $44.18 to end the day, after many investors predicting the company's stock would actually suffer. Overall, the retailer also saw an average 8.6 percent in same store sales year-over-year, as the company continues to evolve during changing times.

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"We're such a complex animal," said Paul Raines, CEO at GameStop, in a statement published by BloombergBusiness. "There is no elevator pitch for GameStop." It's an incredible announcement, as more gamers and financial investors feel GameStop will eventually end up just like Blockbuster: gone.

Amazingly, the store has managed to evolve despite many gamers choosing to download and install game content, leaving behind physical game sales. However, GameStop has 30 percent to 40 percent market share in digitally licensed content, providing extra game levels and other DLCs.

GameStop may have persevered this time around, but expect this to be a continued battle each time the company releases its financial results. When is the last time you went into a GameStop?

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Trying to figure out how wearables will help mobile payments ecosystem
Financial institutions are gearing up for a growing number of their customers using various forms of mobile payments while shopping. During the Wearable World Congress in San Francisco, executives from MasterCard, Capital One and PayPal discussed how each company is embracing the market - and watching to see what products and services emerge.

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"As we look at the future, consumers are clearly interacting with a whole host of new devices that extend beyond plastic or the devices in their pocket," said Stephane Wyper, VP of startup engagement at MasterCard. "How do we enable all of those connected devices to be payment devices?"

As the number of wearables reach the market, they could play a major role in how payments are made - moving away from the idea that just smartphones will be used for transactions. The use of smartwatches and other wearables, which keep owners connected, provide new opportunities for banks and credit card companies.

However, it'll depend on the "acceptance network," consisting of retailers and other public services that want to support mobile payment ecosystems.

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Solar-powered drone Google wants to use crashes during test flight
The Titan Aerospace Solara 50 drone that Google wants to use as a platform to help deliver Internet service to users across the world has unfortunately crashed. The US National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash which took place in New Mexico on May 1.

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Google purchased Titan Aerospace in 2014, and hopes the drone, which can operate at 65,000 ft. altitude, can carry up to 70 pounds of telecom equipment. Solara 50 can produce up to seven kilowatts of power using 3,000 enclosed solar cells, and features a wingspan up to 164 feet.

"Although our prototype plane went down during a recent test, we remain optimistic about the potential of solar-powered planes to help deliver connectivity," said Courtney Hohne, Google spokeswoman, in a statement to Bloomberg News. "Part of building a new technology is overcoming hurdles along the way."

There is growing competition for Internet companies to find new and innovative ways to provide Web access to remote regions.

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The robot cheetah from MIT can now run and jump over objects
The cheetah-inspired robot created by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has an innovative new skill: it can successfully jump over obstacles. The robot, which can run a maximum 10 miles per hour, is becoming even more impressive ahead of the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals next month.

Researchers equipped the robot with a LiDAR system that uses laser to detect items, with the cheetah quickly creating a virtual map of its surrounding area.

"It's the first legged robot to be able [to] leap hurdles like this autonomously," said Sangbae Kim, MIT research team lead, in a statement. "Many other robots can move faster on wheels, or maybe jump higher, but they can't do it on their own."

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Mad Max: Fury Road(2015)

In 1979, a little known Australian film with a budget of $650,000, an Australian TV drama actor and a cast of unknowns, from an untested director set in a weird dystopian future had a huge impact on the film industry, making a star of Mel Gibson and visionary director George Miller and creating a new Australian anti-hero. But its 1981 sequel The Road Warrior really propelled Mad Max into the big league, where it grossed 10 times its production budget and created a brand new template for action films that rendered everything else before it mere child's play. It's with a sense of irony that it's been left to the 70 year old director to do exactly the same thing, 30 years later.

Set in the dystopian future sometime after the last entry Beyond Thunderdome, Max (Tom Hardy) has been captured by troops of the desert wasteland warlord Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) and relocated to the citadel - a derelict dustbowl city where survivors eke out an existence and beg for a taste of the precious water reserves that Joe hoards to reinforce his power. But when Joe is betrayed by his rig-driving trusted enforcer Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), who has also absconded with his 'wives', he sends his entire army across the desert to bring them back.

What you've heard is probably true. Fury Road is indeed one big long car chase, a rollicking, riveting edge of your seat amusement park ride, truly unlike anything witnessed in modern cinema. Behemoth vehicles and big rigs collide and explode in glorious fashion. But take a look under the surface and it becomes clear that there's much more going on.

Harkening back to the near dialogue-less Max as portrayed in the first film, Tom Hardy has precious little to say, with most of his lines delivered as narration, so Max has to rely on his presence to make an impact. Although no one would deny that Hardy, a veteran of some excellent character roles over the last few years is up to the job, the fact of the matter is that despite what you'd assume from the title, he isn't the star of the film.

Charlize Theron not only sets the film's plot into motion, but gets more screen time and lines. This is her film, and she takes the role with complete relish, owning it and making us believe she's a true survivor of a desperate, dystopian world. Nicholas Hoult also deserves praise for his multi-layered performance as Nux, equal parts subtlety and madness.

George Miller proves quite definitively that he's a visual auteur of the highest order and Fury Road encapsulates a time when he can truly capitalize on the images in his mind. Visual effects technology has matured significantly since the franchise's last installment, Beyond Thunderdome in 1985, with CG catering to the every whim of even the most demanding of directors - should they have the cash. Luckily for Miller, Warner Bros also agreed to indulge him on that point too. But the film's most impressive sequences (with perhaps the exception of the storm) feature significantly less obvious computer trickery than your average modern blockbuster, such as Avengers: Age of Ultron, and there's no doubt that's why they're innately compelling, coming with a near tangible air of grittiness and a heightened sense of reality that really gets the adrenaline pumping.

Fury Road is an insane film - truly the work of an eccentric director. The visuals are so disparate, with every frame densely packed with equal parts beauty and grotesquery. Take, for example, the character dubbed "doof-man"; the guitarist who performs atop the villains convoy, suspended in mid fire while flame spouts from the top of his instrument, with the sounds merging with the Junkie XL soundtrack. It shouldn't work. It should be ridiculous. But with the already established over the top imagery, it only serves to reinforce that this is a lawless, insane, nay 'mad' world.

Just as The Road Warrior changed the template for action films, Fury Road has upped the ante for this year's summer blockbusters, but I think time will prove it a watershed, ushering in a new era of filmmaking.

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MSI to Dominate the COMPUTEX TAIPEI Show Floor
COMPUTEX TAIPEI, Asia's largest ICT trade show, begins on Tuesday, June 2 and runs through Saturday, June 6. COMPUTEX TAIPEI is undoubtedly the place to connect with large tech companies and hear about their latest tech and gadgets. This year, the 35th COMPUTEX TAIPEI will be once again fueled by new technology and trends, with its hall floors being home to over 1,700 exhibitors and 5,000 booths and showcasing the latest innovations, technologies and equipment. MSI, world's leading gaming brand, will roll into COMPUTEX with a diverse, award-winning product lineup of laptops, AIO PCs, motherboards, video cards, servers, etc. "MSI has always strived for innovation, design and efficiency," says Eric Kuo, MSI Vice President of Global Sales & Marketing. "At this year's COMPUTEX TAIPEI, we will present our latest innovations and immerse visitors into a variety of digital and gaming experiences."

Pioneering products and cutting-edge technology on display

World-renowned vendor of gaming hardware, MSI has on display its highly-acclaimed GAMING series laptops fueled by the upcoming 5th generation Intel® Core i7 processors, Tobii Eye-Tracking Technology, KillerTM Wireless-AC 1535 with new ExtremeRangeTM Technology, Nahimic Sound Technology, NVIDIA® G-SYNC, SLI extreme graphics, etc. Workstations with K5100M/4100M extreme Quadro graphics and the latest P series laptops featuring True Color technology are something to behold as well.

Also on the show list are MSI Nightblade MI gaming barebone; AG270 3K, Gaming 24GE and Gaming 24GE 4K GAMING series AIOs; Pro 24 2M from the latest Pro Series AIOs; along with Cubi energy efficient Mini-PC. The Nightblade MI employs Intel® Core i7 processor and NVIDIA® GeForce 900-series video card, packing powerful components in a compact design. The GAMING series AIOs are loaded with a rich array of gaming features, specifically developed to deliver the best experience when playing games. The Pro 24 2M features Intel® Core i5 quad-core processor and an optical multi touch, wide viewing angle panel for the best view from any angle. Featuring a wide range of Intel® processors and expandability, Cubi is the essence of small, smart computing.

In terms of motherboards, MSI introduces a variety of Intel® X99/Z97 GAMING, Overclocking and Classic motherboards for gamers, overclockers, PC enthusiasts and professionals, taking custom built motherboards to the next level. COMPUTEX 2015 Best Choice Golden Award winner X99A GAMING 9 ACK and Best Choice Award winner X99A XPOWER AC are highlights of the motherboard lineup and will also be showcased at the Best Choice Award Pavilion (Area I, 1st Floor, Nangang Exhibition Hall) throughout the event.

Equally eye-catching are MSI GAMING series video cards that highlight an arsenal of powerful and gamer-specific features to meet gamers' needs while playing graphically demanding games.

Online exhibition made awesome with Responsive Web Design

The physical show booth aside, MSI also provides COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2015 Online Exhibition featuring a collection of MSI's show topics for viewing anytime and anywhere. The whole new Responsive Web Design helps create websites that look good on all devices. Visitors will have an optimal viewing experience across a variety of devices and can enjoy our exhibition in efficient and engaging ways.

Come explore MSI COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2015 Online Exhibition. The awesome stuff is just a few clicks away!

A glimpse of MSI's product highlights at COMPUTEX 2015

Graphics Cards

MSI GAMING Graphics Cards: Cooler, Quieter, Better

MSI's elite lineup of GAMING video cards is headed up by the award winning GTX 980 GAMING 4G, winner of the 23rd Taiwan Excellence Awards and finalist of the COMPUTEX 2015 Best Choice Award. The GTX 980 GAMING 4G is powered by the renowned Twin Frozr V cooler, which features a premium LED illuminated MSI GAMING Dragon that can be controlled by a new feature on the exclusive MSI Gaming App. The MSI Gaming App provides five unique animation effects and Scenamax technology to reduce strain on the user's eyes. With unmatched performance and an impressive host of features, the latest MSI GAMING series video cards have redefined the ultimate GAMING experience.

Armor 2X Series, Solid Performance in a Brand New Package

Users looking for solid performance with improved cooling and top quality components will find the Armor 2X series video cards to be their best choice. This series features Military Class 4 Components for reliable performance, Armor 2X Thermal Design for enhanced cooling and is available in a striking new Black & White design to form a stylish addition to any system.

Motherboards

X99A GAMING 9 ACK, Engineered for High-Performance Gaming

Recognized for its extraordinary technical ingenuity and outstanding design, MSI X99A GAMING 9 ACK motherboard is an honoree of COMPUTEX 2015 Best Choice Golden Award and comes equipped with the evolution of the best onboard audio solution Audio Boost 2, Killer networking through LAN & WI-FI, support for Turbo M.2 32 Gb/s, USB 3.1 and SATA Express devices together with other key gaming features.

X99A XPOWER AC, the Overclocking Champion

As COMPUTEX 2015 Best Choice Award winner, the X99A XPOWER AC caters to power users and professional extreme overclockers and features Intel® Core i7 processor, Turbo M.2 32 Gb/s, USB 3.1, SATA Express devices, Military Class 4 components, enhanced thermal design and a variety of overclocking features.

World's First Motherboard Brand with Windows 10 WHQL Support

MSI is the world's first motherboard manufacturer to receive official Microsoft Windows 10 WHQL certification. The Z97A GAMING 6 motherboard passed Microsoft Windows 10 official certification, along with other MSI models. This means you don't have to worry about support when upgrading to Windows 10 with MSI.

Z97A SLI Krait Edition & Z97A PC Mate Motherboards Expand USB 3.1 Family

With the new stunning black & white Z97A SLI Krait Edition and the all-round Z97A PC Mate motherboards being released, 2 new models have been welcomed to the MSI USB 3.1 motherboard line-up.

MSI COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2015 Online Exhibition

http://gaming.msi.com/event/computex-2015

COMPUTEX Info

Date: Tue. June 2 ~ Sat. June 6, 2015

Venue: 4th Floor, Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall

Booth: L0617

MSI Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/MSIHQFANCLUB

MSI Twitter: https://twitter.com/msitweets

MSI GAMING Products: http://gaming.msi.com

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Sunday, May 31, 2015

IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 6/1/2015

Mad Max: Fury Road(2015)

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