IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 9/2/2014

Hacker unleashes a treasure trove of celebrity nude photos and videos
A hacker is claiming to have completed a massive hack, where he has said that he has leaked out photos of some of the biggest female celebrities in the world, including Jennifer Lawrence, Kim Kardashian, and many more. Lawrence's reps have confirmed that the nude photos of her are indeed real, allegedly stolen from her Apple iCloud account.

TweakTown image hacker_unleashes_a_treasure_trove_of_celebrity_nude_photos_and_videos

A spokesperson told HuffPost: "This is a flagrant violation of privacy. The authorities have been contacted and will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos of Jennifer Lawrence." The hacker claims to have videos of celebrities too, and not just nude photos, as he is offering to release more of his treasure trove in exchange for money.
Representatives for many of the celebrities are coming out claiming that the photos are "completely fake," but there are some that are real, and in this instance, Jennifer Lawrence's reps coming out and confirming the images, proves that this hack has happened and at least some of the pictures are real.

Volition releases the official SDK for Saints Row 4
Saints Row 4 is already crazy enough, featuring some truly out-of-this-world content, but what about when modders have access to the innards of the game through the software development kit, or SDK? Well, lots and lots of fun.

TweakTown image volition_releases_the_official_sdk_for_saints_row_4

Volition, the developer behind Saints Row, not only announced Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell at PAX Prime a couple of days ago, but it has released the official software development kit (SDK) for Saints Row 4 on PC. This will allow modders to play around with the game, creating whatever they want in the game.
It should be interesting to see how this fares, as the game already features some truly crazy fun concepts, but allowing modders to tweak it to any part of their imagination, and talents, we should expect some great content from modders in the near future for Saints Row 4.

One way to win a copy of 'A Million Ways to Die in The West' Blu-ray
Thanks to our friends at Universal Sony Home Entertainment, we have copies of this week's Blu-ray release of Seth MacFarlane's 'A Million Ways to Die in The West' up for grabs for ten lucky readers!
In Arizona 1882 nothing comes easy in the bitterly unforgiving Old West except dying. Albert (Seth MacFarlane), is a soft man in hard times who really doesn't fit in. Adding to Albert's distress and feelings of inadequacy, his girlfriend (Amanda Seyfried) leaves him for the towns moustache groomer (Neil Patrick-Harris). When a mysterious and beautiful woman (Charlize Theron) rides into town she helps him find his courage. However, when her husband (Liam Neeson), a notorious outlaw, arrives seeking revenge, the farmer must put his new found courage to the test.

TweakTown image one_way_to_win_a_copy_of_a_million_ways_to_die_in_the_west_blu_ray

To go into the running to take one Blu-ray copy home, simply correctly answer the following question:
Name of the ten regular characters that Seth MacFarlane voices on 'Family Guy'
To enter, simply 'like' this post and share via Facebook or Twitter and send your answers, along with your postal address to ben at TweakTown dot com before the competition closes on September 5th.

'A Million Ways to Die in The West' is available on Blu-ray and UltraViolet Digital Copy combo pack, DVD and Digital Copy combo pack and Digital from Australian retailers on September 4th.

Keyed Up Labs KUL ES-87 Tenkeyless Mechanical Keyboard Review

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

Today we are diving into a whole new switch type with our latest sample from KUL offering Cherry MX Clear switches. The switches themselves actually have white stems, but none the less, we are excited to gain more experience with another switch type to broaden our advice giving knowledge. While we are dealing with a mechanical keyboard that is built for the typists out there, KUL didn't leave out the obvious beneficial features for multi-media controls. KUL even added something called a Power Mode, where Windows keys are not so much eliminated as they are repurposed. Also, not only is this keyboard completely driver-less, but it is also the first keyboard to hit our desk that offers DIP switch functionality with seven functional options.
We came about this sample by way of a friend of a friend, who knows this guy, who put us in touch with Keyed Up Labs, and from there things went right from the introduction, and within a week the keyboard we were interested in was at my door. On top of getting the keyboard, we were also greeted with a ton of information regarding what goes into the design. That knowledge alone could very well stop you right in your tracks, and cause you to snap around to give this new keyboard a much closer look.
In our email correspondence with Keyed Up Labs, we learned that they source all their components for their board from major manufacturers, and they do their homework to be sure they have all the best gear to put forward. Keyed Up Labs does this even knowing that accomplishing this with high quality control is an expensive way to go about building a keyboard. Very admirable.
There are design implementations to make this keyboard very rigid and flat, so it will not flex under weight. The textures used on this keyboard will last a long time, while still being paint friendly for modding the solid molding of the key caps with laser etched legends. They have even added a few LED indicators around the board to signify functionality of the Caps and Scroll lock, as well as on the Escape key to show that Power Mode is active. The list just goes on and on, even down to the fact that with the flip of a DIP switch, this keyboard is natively compatible for OSX.
If what you know so far about this keyboard doesn't get you excited to see the KUL ES-87 that Keyed Up Labs has sent over, then you are either too game-oriented in your buying decisions, or the rubber dome keyboard from your last pre-built is good enough for you. If do lack enthusiasm for this board thus far, we would like to encourage you to continue reading, because you may like what you have seen by the end of this review.
For most of us that write for TweakTown, gaming has become secondary since we spend quite a bit of time clicking away endlessly to bring forth all the newest goodies. So, it almost goes without saying that we find this keyboard is quite exciting. The KUL ES-87 is almost custom fit to the needs of anyone who does quite a bit of typing at the PC, but still desires enough control to blast music while doing so. Best of all, when it does come down to game time, you don't have to swap out keyboards, as this KUL ES-87 will do a fine job there as well.

With a name like KUL ES-87, being a tenkeyless offering comes as no real surprise since the "87" refers to the amount of keys in this layout. The chart states that this keyboard comes with Cherry MX switches, and that varying switches are available from third-party retailers out there, but our sample is based on Cherry MX Clears. We see that this mechanical keyboard is fully compatible with Windows, OSX, and Linux/Unix operating systems. We also see that electronic traffic is carried over a USB 1.1 cable, the cable is detachable from the keyboard, and there is a PS/2 adapter included as well.
As the physical dimensions show, this one kilogram keyboard is 364mm in width, 14mm in depth, and stands 37mm tall at the back. With the feet extended, we get 13mm more height at the back edge. There are cylindrical, solid color ABS keycaps with laser etched legends, and the chart even shows the pitch of the keys in comparison to the textured frame as they are angled. The entire keyboard is black except for the white left on the keys from laser etching, and three blue LEDs. There isn't even any branding on the board as it is shipped; there is a logo sent along with the board, but its application is optional.
The lower chart shows us what is included in the package. Of course, we already covered the ES-87 keyboard, the detachable cable, and the PS/2 adapter, but there is still more to find. There is a clear PET plastic cover that ships on this keyboard, but it is also usable on the desktop as a cover to keep dust out of the keyboard if it's left for long periods of time. There is also a key puller, additional keycaps to give the keyboard your own personal touch, and a manual with a quick reference to functionality and DIP switch options.
Looking around, it is very possible to obtain your own KUL ES-87 keyboard. From what we see, pricing isn't nearly as expensive as we would have thought considering what goes into making this keyboard. We did find two switch variations of this keyboard at Amazon.com, where they are asking $129.99 for the Cherry MX Brown or MX Red versions. If you are looking for the Cherry MX Black, or the Cherry MX clear variant that we have here, you will have to drop over to Elitekeyboards.com to locate those versions; they are listed at the same $129.99 asking price. While we certainly feel the price is justified, take a closer look with us and see for yourself why the KUL ES-87 has us so impressed.
PRICING: You can find the KUL ES-87 Tenkeyless Keyboard 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 KUL ES-87 with Cherry MX Brown switches retails for $129.00 at Amazon, and the KUL ES-87 with Cherry MX Red switches retails for $129.00 at Amazon.
... Read the rest in your browser!

Belkin OmniView Secure 4-Port Business-Class KVM Review

Belkin is a market leader in SOHO and SMB solutions. From cables and adapters to enclosures and network switches, they have one of the most impressive portfolios in the industry. Today, we dig into that portfolio, and pull out a top KVM offering in the Belkin OmniView 4-port KVM.
The OmniView 4-port KVM is a business-class KVM switch featuring dual-link DVI with resolution support up to 2560 x 1600. In addition, it features USB connectivity for each port, along with audio in and out - and that's just the tip of the iceberg. In addition to large format display support, the Belkin OmniView is a secure switch solution certified to EAL4+ to prevent unintended data transfer between computers running on different security levels.
MSRP of the Belkin OmniView 4-Port KVM sits at $499.99 with a three-year warranty.

Scope of delivery for the OmniView includes reading materials, and power cable.

Above, we have our first look at the KVM. As you can see, the unit is housed in a metal chassis for top level durability. The front of the unit houses four buttons that are numbered and are accompanied by an amber LED to show which PC is active.

The back of the KVM houses all the dual-link connections, along with USB ports for your keyboard and mouse. For those wanting audio, inputs are available for each PC.

Internally, the KVM enjoys a great amount of build quality. All the solder joints are clean and the daughterboard seen above is laid out clean as well.

The motherboard of the OmniView houses two ISL5400 switches that appear to control the DVI switching functionality on the KVM.

Back to the daughterboard, we found four SMSC USB2504 Hubs that control the USB functionality for each port.
In the last few years, having multiple test systems in the lab, I always found myself content with using remote desktop to move between systems and test different products. With the commencing of building the fourth system in the TweakTown Consumer Storage and Networking lab, I found things were getting increasingly difficult to manage.
For one, running desktop operating systems on the machines had me using the command line to shut them down and then remembering IP addresses to remote in. This was the turning point and denoted it was time to start researching KVMs, but there was a single issue and anyone that owns a Qnix 2710LED Evolution II, like myself, you know what I'm talking about - the resolution and the lack of a scaler IC inside the monitor.
When searching KVMs, I came upon many that looked to fit the bill, but after reading into them, I found results were hit and miss. This led me to business-class KVMs and the Belkin F1DN104D. With my situation being addressed with the technology inside the OmniView KVM, I was pleasantly surprised to see it fire right up and my monitor kick in just a few seconds later.
The front mounted buttons allow quick switching between PCs and the amber LED behind each button aides in identifying what PC you are working with. When switching between PCs, it takes just a few seconds, and the monitor along with keyboard and mouse are switched over without constant driver reinstalls, and with the unit not having any sort of buffer, you get a constant stream of data from the PC you are working on and no issues making you restart the unit.
PRICING: You can find the Belkin Omniview F1dn104d Kvm Switch 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 Belkin Omniview F1dn104d Kvm Switch retails for $495.89 at Amazon.
Canada: The Belkin Omniview F1dn104d Kvm Switch for CDN$598.65 at Amazon Canada.

TweakTown image 6/6/6623_1234_belkin_omniview_secure_4_port_business_class_kvm_review.png

... Read the rest in your browser!

Available Tags:Blu-ray , Keyboard , Belkin ,

Monday, September 1, 2014

IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 9/2/2014

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

1 comment: