IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 12/08/2015

Lenovo unveils new laptops packing 4K displays and Xeon processors
Lenovo has just unveiled its new ThinkPad P50 and P70 laptops, both capable of packing Intel's new Xeon processor, 4K displays, professional-grade NVIDIA Quadro graphics, and more.

The new mobile offerings can be configured with up to 64GB of RAM, a Thunderbolt 3 connector (which can drive multiple 4K displays on its own), and the aforementioned Intel Xeon CPU. The P50 model features a 15.6-inch display while the P70 kicks it up to a 17-inch panel. The 15-inch P50 weighs in at 5.6 pounds while the 17-inch model is a much heavier 7.6-pound machine.

Lenovo's P70 does include a fourth storage bay and a second Thunderbolt port, for some serious mobile workstation power. The P50 starts at $1899 with a 1080p display, while the P70 begins at $1999 and scales very high in price depending on the configuration.


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Samsung's new 256-gigabit chips will offer massive SSDs in the future
It looks like Samsung is keen to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to storage technology, with the South Korean electronics giant announcing it has started manufacturing the first 256-gigabit (32GB) 3D vertical flash memory.

This new achievement is double Samsung's previous efforts, but what can we expect from this new memory technology? Well, how do massive SSDs sound? Samsung added that manufacturing is 40% more productive, so the bigger SSDs won't come with an inflated price when they're released. Samsung is hoping to continue making its 256-gigabit flash memory for the rest of the year, so we should see products with this technology inside of them starting towards the end of the year, or into 2016.


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Surface Pro 4 should pack a Skylake processor and 4K display
Now that the release of Windows 10 is out of the way, the next big thing for Microsoft is the refreshed Surface Pro 4 that's expected to drop sometime next month.

Microsoft's Surface Pro 4 is expected to rock Intel's new Skylake-powered processors, as well as an increase in on-screen pixels with a 4K option. There will be lower resolution offerings, but you can customize the new Surface Pro 4 to 4K if you want to spend the money. We will of course see Windows 10 powering the new Surface Pro 4 units.

The base model should feature a 10-inch 1080p display with a fanless Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and USB Type-C connectivity. This model will pack a huge 8600mAh battery. The higher-end Surface Pro 4 will rock a Skylake-based Core i7 processor, a huge 16GB of RAM and a larger 13-inch display that can be configured up to 4K.


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NVIDIA's rumored GeForce GTX 990M to offer insane portable performance
According to the latest rumors, NVIDIA is preparing a new mobile GPU in the form of the GeForce GTX 990M. With the GTX 980M already being quite powerful, it still isn't as fast as a desktop GTX 980, but the new GTX 990M will fix that.

NVIDIA's purported GeForce GTX 990M would reportedly be as fast as current GTX 980M SLI configurations, with the GTX 980M being based off of the GM204 die with 1536 CUDA cores. A laptop powered by GTX 980M SLI beats a desktop GTX 980 by around 10%, so for a GTX 990M to beat both of those setups, we're talking about some serious mobile performance.

One of the big problems that NVIDIA will have is power consumption, with the GTX 980M SLI using around 180W TDP. Either NVIDIA is going to have to work some magic on the purported GTX 990M, or we're looking at around 150-180W TDP on the mobile GPU. After using the ASUS ROG G751 gaming laptop and its included GeForce GTX 980M for a few months now, it doesn't get too hot or loud at all. All NVIDIA would need is some half decent cooling, which all gaming laptops feature these days, and we could be looking at mobile 4K 60FPS gaming on the GTX 990M.


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Valve announces portable Steam Machine for $299, out in 2016
Valve has just surprised gamers by unveiling its new portable Steam Machine which will go on sale on November 10 for $299, but it won't begin shipping until late 2016.

The company that will be building the portable Steam Machine is Smach, which has said it will begin shipping out units in Q4 2016. The $299 price is the pre-sale price only, so expect this to go up a little. What was known as the Steamboy is now known as the Smach Zero, claiming to be "the first handheld console to play Steam games on the go" and will play "more than 1000 games" from the Steam library upon launch.

When it comes to specs, Smach announced back in June:

• AMD embedded G-Series SoC "Steppe Eagle" with Jaguar-based CPU and GCN-based Radeon graphics
• 4 GB RAM memory
• 32GB internal memory and SD Card Slot
• USB OTG
• 5-inch Touchscreen with 720p resolution
• Configurable tactile gamepads
• HDMI video output connection
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• Bluetooth connectivity
• 4G mobile network connectivity (PRO model only)

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Protect Your Electronics with the Aduro Surge Protector for 52% Off

You spend your hard-earned cash on them. You cradle them in cases to protect them against bumps and scratches. So why risk damaging your favorite electronics and devices with voltage spikes that come from weather changes and other uncontrollable factors? Get the Aduro surge protector at TweakTown Deals for $19 plus free shipping.

The Aduro surge protector powers and safeguards up to seven devices simultaneously-you can even charge your tablet and smartphone with the USB inputs. Meanwhile, Safety Shutdown technology ensures your devices stay safe no matter what, using thermal fuses to shut down the system and protect against fire and other damage that can come from power surges and spikes. There's even an indicator light that tells you that your electronics are being protected. Not to mention, it's slim and sleek, so it won't add unsightly bulk to your walls.

Keep your valuable electronics safe and grab the Aduro surge protector for $19 at TweakTown Deals.


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Hillary Clinton would like the Islamic State bounced off social media
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently spoke out regarding the Islamic State and other criminal groups using social media.

Speaking directly about the Islamic State, she had this to say: "We have got to shut down their Internet presence, which is posing the principal threat to us," when asked during a stop on her campaign to become president.

"You've got to look carefully at terrorist groups and criminal cartels and other illegal actors to figure out whether they can use the Internet to cause crimes, to cause harm, to wage terrorist attacks and we can't just let that go on unabated," Clinton said.

There are plenty of organizations and political leaders across the world frightened by the reach Islamic State has while using social media - but trying to actually prevent the group from succeeding has been extremely difficult. Even with the help of Anonymous, and increased surveillance by Europol, the extremist group continues to succeed using Twitter, YouTube, and other websites.


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Google shaking things up, so please say hello to Alphabet
Google has filed paperwork with the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) in its plan to rebrand the public holding company as Alphabet Inc. The decision was made as Google looks to create a new operating structure, but that doesn't mean Google's businesses will suddenly disappear.

Services such as its search, maps, apps, YouTube, ads and Android will be listed as "Google business" under Alphabet. However, the company has branched out into a number of other business ventures, which will be better organized under Alphabet.

Expect the changes to be rolled out over the next few months, as current Google investors should be able to receive a detailed outlook how each business is operating.

Only time will tell if Google's decision to try to run more effectively as smaller businesses will pay off in the long-term. Chairman Eric Schmidt will be the executive chairman of Alphabet, while Ruth Porat will be named SVP and CFO of Alphabet. Meanwhile, current SVP of products, Sundar Pichai, will serve as CEO of Google.

Here is what Google co-founder and CEO Larry Page said in a public blog post:

"Alphabet is about business prospering through strong leaders and independence. In general, our model is to have a strong CEO who runs each business, with Sergey and me in service to them as needed. We will rigorously handle capital allocation and work to make sure each business is executing well. We'll also make sure we have a great CEO for each business, and we'll determine their compensation."


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Ghost Games speaks out regarding Need for Speed always-online function
Video game studios try to deliver a great gaming experience, especially for multiplayer gamers, though must walk a fine-line. There has been more always-online functionality included in even more games, but many gamers don't necessarily like it - not surprisingly, some gamers interested in Need for Speed weren't happy to hear the news.

"We've been pretty big with Autolog throughout the years and, as we know, it's a really powerful feature," said Marcus Nilsson, executive producer of Need for Speed, in a statement published in the Official Xbox Magazine. "This time around we're going to give it more of a human voice. It will treat your friend's play as if it is part of the narrative experience."

The game studio is quite excited about including a new automatic image sharing system, which also benefits from always-online:

"We also have a new snapshot system as well. Which is taking pictures of a lot of different moments - [they go] out to the Need for Speed network where people can 'like' them, and those likes are being pushed back into the game as currency. So you get progression from sharing your photos. The Xbox One has really good built-in systems to make videos and stream them, which we are also going to use."

Need for Speed is scheduled for release on November 3, and will be available for the PC, Microsoft Xbox One, and Sony PlayStation 4.


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Apple iOS making gains on Android in mobile OS war: comScore report
Apple had some news to celebrate following a strong showing in the latest quarter that ended in June, with 44.1 percent OEM market share, while iOS closed the gap to Google Android, according to the comScore research group.

Apple leads the smartphone market, gaining 1.5 percent, while Samsung (28.1 percent), LG Electronics (8.3 percent), Motorola (4.9 percent), and HTC (3.4 percent) all lost ground.

Android remained the most popular mobile OS, with 51.6 percent market share, though lost 0.8 percent - as Apple now accounts for 44.1 percent of the market. Both Google and Apple are fully dedicated to the smartphone and mobile OS market, and consumers can expect to see even more products from both companies in the years to come.

In addition, more than three-quarters of the US population own smartphones, with 190.3 million smartphone owners.


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Dark Souls 3 is a 'turning point for the series', says Miyazaki
At Gamescom 2015 the renown master of macabre Hidetaka Miyazaki sat down with Gamespot to discuss Dark Souls 3, revealing some hints on what's next for the series.

"Dark Souls is my life's work. Everything I came up with for Dark Souls 3 is based on my personal preferences," Miyazaki said, his words offering huge relief for fans who preferred the "Miyzaki touch" that was present in the original game. "Dark Souls 3 is also actually the turning point for the franchise. This project was launched by the previous From Software management, before I was appointed president. In that sense, Dark Souls 3 is the turning point for the series. As president of From Software, I am planning to launch several new projects. I can't quite specify exactly what they are. Those could be something sci-fi, but you'll have to stay tuned for more about that in the future."

This isn't the first time Miyazaki echoed these words; at E3 2015 he squashed reports that Dark Souls 3 would be the final game in the series, but provided no concrete details on what's next. What we do know is that Miyazaki will have full creative control over the future of the franchise, meaning that Dark Souls 3 will act as a bridge towards Miyazaki's new grand scheme.

Miyazaki's triumphant return to the series has heralded global fanfare and acclaim, and everyone is excited to see him back in his throne. The newly minted From Software president handed off the mantle of Dark Souls 2 in order to craft the PS4 exclusive Bloodborne, but he's returned to take on Dark Souls 3--and his magical touch has been evident from the start.

The Japanese dev-turned-company-president is quite busy these days, and some worry that simultaneously developing Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne's expansive DLC could overwhelm the studio. But Miyazaki is having none of it, and affirms he can handle the pressure and personally guarantee the quality of both titles.

"The bottom line is, I think I can do it. I believe I can do both the Bloodborne DLC and Dark Souls 3. The reason is because this isn't the first time I've had to work on two projects at the same time," the beloved developer said, noting that he worked on both Armored Core: For Answer at the same time he was making Demon's Souls. "As long as I am listed as game director on the end credits, there's a certain level of quality the game needs to meet. I can guarantee that the game quality will reach that. Working as a president and also director of Dark Souls is keeping me busy, I'm getting a lot of stimulation, which motivates me to work hard."

Dark Souls 3 is slated to release sometime in 2016 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.


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Silicon Power announces USB drive with USB Type-C and A support
As seen in a recently issued press release, Taiwanese brand Silicon Power (SP) has announced the Mobile C80, a USB Type-C and USB Type-A flash drive which supports USB 1.1, 2.0 and 3.0 speeds.

Available in sizing options up to 64GB, the Mobile C80 "promises easier, faster and more stable data transmission" enhanced with the the help of Recuva [File Recovery software] and comes complete with a key chain loop, enabling users to easily attach it to existing key chains.

Also including a 60-day trial of Norton Internet Security, this device weighs in at only 8 grams and comes packaged with a lifetime warranty.


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CS:GO goes truly global with Africa receiving a World Champs qualifier
There has been a lot of talk about the rise of eSports recently, this has been partly thanks to things like the massive $16 million Dota2 tournament, ESL's great work with various LoL and CS:GO tournaments plus Riot Games' contribution to its massive tournament series named LCS. This is all well and good for the American and European nations concerned, but what about the rest?

'The World Championships 2015' has announced its full support for 'the little guys' when it comes to eSports, announcing its African qualifier which includes South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Libya, Algeria and Tunisia, as seen on HLTV.

This event is set as a best of one map series in a round robin format, with each country to put forward one team to compete over a four day period. The winning country will earn a spot at the global championship, set for Belgrade later in 2015.

More information on match timings can be found here.


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HTC investors: company brand, factories and buildings are 'worthless'
It looks as though things have gone from bad to worse with Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC, with investors effectively saying HTC's "brand, factories and buildings were worthless", reports Bloomberg.

HTC's market price fell to $1.5 billion on Monday, below the $1.5 billion it had in cash at the end of June. Calvin Huang at Sinopac Financial Holdings Co. in Taipei told Bloomberg: "HTC's cash is the only asset of value to shareholders. Most of the other assets shouldn't be considered in their valuation because there's more write-offs to come and the brand has no value".

Q3 2015 isn't shaping up to be too good for HTC either, with the Taiwanese company forecasting 48% below analysts' estimations, after a 35% cut to projected revenues in the preceding period. There's one massive looming question I have: what about Vive? HTC's VR headset that it collaborated on with Valve, which could be the most exciting product HTC has ever made.


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16-year-old gamer helps his team win $6.6 million in The International
Can you believe that The International is over already? The biggest Dota 2 competition has been won by American team Evil Geniuses, who took home a huge $6.6 million of the $18 million prize pool.

Evil Geniuses took down Chinese team CDEC, 3-1in the best-of-five Grand Finals over the weekend. All five players in Evil Geniuses - Fear, PPD, AUI, Sumail, and Universe - are now millionaires. Better yet, they're all so young, including 16-year-old Pakistani champion 'Sumail' who sold his bike when he was young so he could play more Dota 2. Sumail is now the youngest millionaire in eSports.

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Noctua NH-C14S C-Style CPU Cooler Review

Introduction, Specifications and Pricing

Those of you who are not brand new to the market in CPU coolers may very well remember the NH-C14 that Noctua released some time ago now. The basic idea was to design a C-Style cooler that was up to snuff as far as Noctua coolers are concerned in build quality and efficiency, and sandwich a thick fin stack with a pair of 140mm fans with round frames. While we recall this being a very capable cooler, it took up as much room as a dual tower cooler, and with both fans in play, clearance could become an issue as well. For what it was, and the fact that it was a C-Style cooler that offers more airflow to the motherboard, we felt the NH-C14 was a very solid cooler without much if anything to change about it.

Noctua seems to have felt differently about this though; they felt if given a second chance at things, they could do things better this time. The main idea with this refresh was to take the airflow down a notch and sell this new version of the cooler with just a single fan this time. In order to keep a similar level of performance though, they needed something else as well to help boost performance, and to do that, they also reworked the fin stack, as well as increased the structural support that did seem thin for the amount of weight it had to handle.

So, where does this leave us then? Well, in this instance, it leaves us looking at the NH-C14S that follows along with another coolers naming we will soon see as well from Noctua. It has been a while since we took a spin with the original design, but the similarities are very hard to deny, but once they are set side by side, the similarities start to wane as you pick up on all the minor changes that allows Noctua to keep on offering the level of performance and durability we expect from their coolers, just this time doing it with just a bit less to suit more users than just those looking to fit the largest cooler money can buy into a build.

As for the specifications to this newly designed CPU cooler, Noctua holds nothing back in their chart. Starting with the cooler's compatibility, we find that it has full support for both versions of LGA2011, all 115X versions, and anything since AM2 on the AMD side of things, but with AMD you do need the stock back plate. The NH-C14S is 115mm to the top of the fins, it is 140mm from side to side, and from front to back, it is 163mm. If you opt to put the fan on the top, the height will then increase to 142mm overall, but the other dimensions stay the same. We are also told the cooler alone is 820 grams, and once you add in the fan, you are dealing with a cooler that weighs in at 1015 grams. As for what makes up the NH-C14S, we are dealing with six 6mm diameter heat pipes made of copper that are soldered into a copper base. Once that is together, it all gets plated in nickel, and it is then that the aluminum fins are slid onto the pipes and then soldered into place.

Of course, any 140mm fan with a square frame will mount to the NH-C14S, but we are sent the NF-A14 PWM fan to cool this fin array. This fan spins on an SSO2 bearing, with a maximum speed of 1500 RPM, but is also able to drop down to just 300 RPM on the low-end of the scale. The NF-A14 can also deliver 140.2 cubic meters of air per hour. Converting that, we find it is close to half the stated value when comparing to CFM, so near 70 give or take. It is nice to see that these fans will spin for up to 150,000 hours, but it is better to see that the entire cooler comes with a six-year warranty.

When the Noctua NH-C14S hit the news around the internet, we were lead to believe that there was going to be a direct Euro to US dollar conversion, as we saw the $74.90 pricing mentioned then. We know it is still early in the game for this cooler to hit a lot of stores on this side of the pond, but we were able to find one live listing with pricing to go along with it. It is through the Amazon, and we find that Noctua is the listed seller, and they are currently asking $99.95 with free shipping.

It could be a fluke, but with this being all we have to go on, and at $99.95, it better do amazing things. We do feel that the alluded to pricing of $74.99 suits this cooler much better though, and would suggest waiting a bit to see if pricing mellows as more of these coolers arrive on our shores.
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SP Silicon Power Releases Dual USB Drive - Mobile C80 for Type-C Ready Smartphones and Tablets

SP/ Silicon Power, the world's leading provider of memory storage solutions, today announces the launch of its first dual USB drive - Mobile C80 with a USB Type-C connector and a standard USB Type-A connector. Type-C is the next-generation interface that will simplify all formats into one universal interface that will deliver both data and power between devices. Mobile C80 can absolutely fulfill the needs of storage space for Type-C ready smartphones, tablets, and notebooks. Type-C standard enables not only slim designs but also reversible connector which allows users to insert it into their device's port no matter which way up it is. Moreover, Mobile C80 has a USB 3.0 connector to truly bridge various computing devices and makes your digital life easier.
Type-C Interface Rules the Next Generation
The announcements of new Apple MacBook and Chromebook Pixel in March this year have brought attention to USB Type-C interface, and it is gaining rapid support from top-tier PC and consumer electronics manufacturers. However, many users may suffer from relatively few and specific expansion slots of new-generation mobile devices, and it is costly for additional storage space. Mobile C80 delivers up to 64GB of instant capacity for you to transfer and store content. Without constraints of internet signals and different kinds of cables and adapters, C80 promises easier, faster and more stable data transmission. Inheriting from Jewel J80/ Firma F80, Mobile C80 retains the ergonomic circular shape for easy grasp and perfect keychain accessory, but adds a sturdy 360° swivel cap to protect the connector from harm when it is not in use. Moreover, the zinc alloy casing of C80 features sandblasting treatment that enables delicate touch and provides superior resistance to scratches and fingerprints.
SP File Explorer Manages Files Smartly
Mobile C80 offers the exclusive free-download App－SP File Explorer, which is a file management app for your Type-C Android� smartphone or tablet. In addition to the intelligent function of automatic file categorization, the app provides"one-touch backup" by which you can back up files stored on your mobile device with a simple touch only. All Silicon Power USB flash drive products come with a lifetime warranty, SP Widget application software which provides seven major back up and security tools and a 60-day trial version of NIS (Norton Internet Security). Furthermore, SP also provides users with the Recuva File Recovery software which allows users to easily rescue the deleted files including digital photos, documents, music and videos. For more information, please visit the Silicon Power website: http://www.silicon-power.com

Join "Dual USB Drives" Event to Win a Dual USB Drive You Want
Do you recognize different types of transfer interface on various devices? Are you looking for the most suitable dual USB drive to expand storage for your smartphone and tablet? SP provides a complete series of dual USB drives, and launches the quiz-and-prize "Dual USB Drives" online event as Mobile C80 comes to market. During the period, you can take the quiz "Knowledge Challenge" to win a dual USB drive, and learn new information by taking the tests. Welcome to join the event and become the expert in dual usb drives! For detailed information, please visit the event site: http://www.silicon-power.com/spm/dualusb/en/

Mobile C80 Features

• Dual interface for USB Type-C and USB Type-A ports
• 360° swivel cap design
• Ergonomic design, easier to use and grasp
• Exquisite circular shape, perfectly fitted on a keychain
• Sturdy zinc alloy casing
• COB (Chip-on-board) technology for water, dust and vibration proof
• Exclusive free-download file management App－SP File Explorer
• Recuva File Recovery, allowing recovery of erased files, such as digital photos, documents, music and videos

Mobile C80 Specifications

• Size：49.4 x 18.0 x 6.6 mm
• Weight：8 g
• Capacity：16GB、32GB、64GB
• Material: Zinc alloy
• Color：Titanium
• Interface： USB 3.0 / USB 2.0 / USB 1.1 Compatible / USB-C
• Operating temperature: 0° C ~ 70° C
• Supported OS Operation Systems：
• PC- Windows 8 / 7 / Vista / XP, Mac OS 10.3.x, Linux 2.6.x
• Mobile device- Android 4.1.X* / Windows phone 8* (*For USB Type-C ready mobile devices)
• Certifications：CE/FCC/BSMI/KCC/Green dot/WEEE/RoHS
• Lifetime warranty

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