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Live in the UK? You might need permission to take photos of your stuff
If you live in the UK, you might want to be careful of what photos you take... inside of your own house. Thanks to the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 ready to roll through, it will include an extended form of copyright for designer objects - you know, like furniture - for 70 years after the designer has died. This means you'll need a license to post photographs of your own belongings.
We shouldn't see the average UK citizen being affected, because a large portion of Britons would be thrown in court straight away. As BoingBoing reports, it's "law that everyone is guilty of is a law that is ripe for abuse, because it allows rightsholders' estates -- often capricious corporate entities -- the right to ruin the lives of anyone they dislike, for any reason".
Who is the law being targeted at? It looks like it'll hit commercial photographers, of which the UK government seems to have "no sympathy for", reports BoingBoing, adding: "The Government considers that photographers and image libraries already bear costs for time and administration when assessing whether they need to obtain clearance when photographing". But more people will be hit by the law, with publishers of books with pictures of design objects, will feel the pain. The Digital Reader had a chat with Natalie Kontarsky, an Associate Director for Legal and Business Affairs at Thames & Hudson, a popular art publisher, where she said: "The government has actually said 'you are collateral damage' in a very sanguine, offhand way. The dark end of the spectrum would be to take books out of circulation and have to pulp. Obviously no one wants to look at that".
Continue reading: Live in the UK? You might need permission to take photos of your stuff (full post)
Star Citizen Alpha 2.0 released, RSI teases its bigger picture
With close to $100 million secured through crowdfunding, Roberts Space Industries has the universe on its shoulders when it comes to Star Citizen. Well, RSI has released the Star Citizen Alpha 2.0, something that represents the "first true slice" of the game.
Star Citizen Alpha 2.0 allows for transport between multiple locations on a planet, and first-person ground combat is possible for the first time ever. Better yet, you can even do space walks, if you want to leave your ship that is. Even at this point, there's still much more work to do, but RSI is still fighting off criticism that they are taking the $100 million and running with it.
But, with a new 2-minute video released, RSI has something to whet the appetite of Star Citizen fans across the world. It shows that at the end of the day, and after $100 million in funding, there is a big game on its way - but are you still interested? Do you think RSI can pull it off?
Continue reading: Star Citizen Alpha 2.0 released, RSI teases its bigger picture (full post)
Star Citizen funding passes the $100 million milestone
On the day that Roberts Space Industries releases the Star Citizen Alpha 2.0, the developer has hit the huge $100 milestone for the game. It's a massive milestone to reach, as it's the only game ever to have $100 million entirely from crowdfunding.
Star Citizen is home to over one million "citizens", with 32,000+ fan-created organizations in the world already, with the largest organization home to over 11,000 people. RSI debuted some Alpha 2.0 footage of Star Citizen during The Game Awards 2015 show last week, which we've embedded above.
Continue reading: Star Citizen funding passes the $100 million milestone (full post)
GDDR6 teased, could be rebranded GDDR5X that would arrive with HBM2
We heard about NVIDIA using GDDR5X on its next-gen Pascal-based offerings, and shortly after it was rumored that AMD would also use GDDR5X on their forthcoming 14nm-based parts. A new report has surfaced about GDDR6 arriving in 2016, which could be a rebranded name for GDDR5X - before it was even allowed to be released.
It makes sense though, as some users might think an 'X' isn't enough of an indication of increased performance between GDDR5 and GDDR5X, with a full number increase from GDDR5 to GDDR6 being a much better marketing strategy. The new GDDR6 is under development at Micron, but we don't know anything on the performance or specification side of things. We do know that the jump from GDDR5 to GDDR5X was actually quite significant, and while not quite as revolutionary as HBM, it was a great jump for cards not based on HBM.
Considering GDDR5 debuted on the 60nm process all the way back in 2007, it has matured greatly since then, where it is down to 20nm on current cards - including the GeForce GTX Titan X. I think GDDR5 and GDDR6 could be used starting next year in cards that are under $400, allowing the rest of the market above $400 to use the much more expensive HBM2 technology.
Continue reading: GDDR6 teased, could be rebranded GDDR5X that would arrive with HBM2 (full post)
Some of the ASUS R9 Fury STRIX cards can be unlocked to Fury X specs
In the coming weeks, there's going to be a surge in sales for ASUS and its Radeon R9 Fury STRIX card, as reports are suggesting that some users have been successful in unlocking the card to the full Fury X specs - with 4096 stream processors, up from the 3584 on the R9 Fury.
On the XtremeSystems forums, user '2good4you' said he was able to unlock all of the stream processors, leading to rumors that ASUS is using the full-blown Fiji XT GPU, the same used on the Radeon R9 Fury X. But, this trick is limited to specific batches of the ASUS R9 Fury STRIX, and in specific locations - so your results will vary. The steps to get your ASUS R9 Fury STRIX unlocked to the full 4096 stream processors is relatively easy, with OCN user 'TX12' releasing a universal tool that will allow any Hawaii, Tonga or Fiji GPU to be potentially unlocked to its more powerful variant.
Once the ASUS R9 Fury STRIX had its stream processors unlocked from 3584 to 4096, he achieved silent fan operation with a GPU clock of 1050MHz, at 1.19V. Cranking the GPU up to 1150MHz required much higher voltage, with 1.3V required and maximum fan speed. This will depend on multiple factors of the card, like the ASIC quality, and more. But still, receiving a free performance improvement to the Fury X is not too bad at all, and it reminds me of the days of unlocking my previous ATI Radeon cards to their higher-end parts, for free. Oh, those were the days.
Continue reading: Some of the ASUS R9 Fury STRIX cards can be unlocked to Fury X specs (full post)
League of Legends 2015 World Championship had 334 million viewers
So, the League of Legends 2015 World Championships was a massive success for Riot Games, with the developer hosting the championship games over the course of October.
Riot detailed the numbers on the official League of Legends website, saying that the largest peak concurrent viewership hit 14 million, which happened during the finals match between SK Telecom and Koo Tigers on October 31. The unique viewer count for the finals match hit a huge 36 million, with Riot noting that this is "a record-breaking high for any esports event".
Riot Games also noted that the "total cumulative daily unique impressions" reached 334 million over the four weeks, up from the 288 million of 2014.
Continue reading: League of Legends 2015 World Championship had 334 million viewers (full post)
The Division alpha test graphics, immersion and sound 'all perfect'
Over the last week or so, some gamers have been enjoying the alpha test of The Division, Ubisoft's ambitious new open-world title. NeoGAF user 'Theorry' has posted some screenshots from The Division alpha, which was exclusive to the Xbox One. The surprising thing is, even on the Xbox One, the game looks great.
Some of the 'reviews' of The Division alpha on Reddit tease that "just about everything. Graphics, combat, animations, immersion, sound... its all perfect". This user continued: "I especially love the combat. Me and my buddy just patrolled for hours because the small firefights we got into were so much fun. Doing the one mission over and over again never got old and always looking forward to that reward in the end was the topping on the cake". The user continued, with one of the more exciting teases from the game: "The simple animations of how they walk and vault over objects is so smooth. It feels like I AM this person and that is hard to do in a 3rd person game. I feel like an actual soldier where just how they hold the gun to when they slouch down when combat is near..you just feel like a freakinmarine in a real firefight (not that Ive been in one but I have seen some movies)".
Even though there were downsides, with the omission of flashlights in an overall darkly-themed game is weird. Not only that, but crouching is something you can't do in The Division just yet. We are only talking about an alpha, so we know it'll be in better form when it launches in 2016. The Reddit user also added that The Division is "a 10/10 in my book", adding that it was "probably the most fun I've had in a LONG time. It has potential toe be the greatest game I've ever played", which is a gigantic claim from the alpha. Other users said "I hope that I wont break any NDA by just saying that this game is just incredible. Also I am stunned that it looks that good on Xbox one, pc version will melt my face".
Continue reading: The Division alpha test graphics, immersion and sound 'all perfect' (full post)
Volkswagen rumored to unveil an electric concept car at CES 2016
After a tumultuous year for Volkswagen, there are rumors that the German carmaker is set to unveil an EV concept at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.
Volkswagen looks to be using a sexy futuristic design, with the electric vehicle sporting an awesome-looking illuminated grille and squinting headlights. We should see the full shape including some vintage cues from the iconic van, something that would include short overhangs, a wide D-pillar, and boxy overall aesthetic.
VW should be using the concept car as a way to push into the future, with Volkswagen's chairman set to unveil the EV during his keynote at CES on January 5, where he will focus on "the latest developments in electromobility as well as the next generation of connectivity".
Continue reading: Volkswagen rumored to unveil an electric concept car at CES 2016 (full post)
Samsung reportedly preparing four different Galaxy S7 models for 2016
Samsung is expected to unveil its next-generation flagship smartphones next year, where we should expect to see four different models.
These four models will include the normal Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy S7 edge+, and Galaxy S7+. Out of these models, half of them should be using Samsung's own Exynos 8890 processor, while the other models will be using Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chip. The 'plus' models will reportedly feature a phablet-sized display of 6 inches or so, according to the dimensions of third-party case manufacturers.
The better part of the rumors on the new Galaxy S7 smartphone is that the microSD card slot will return, which is something that Samsung caught considerable flak over with the Galaxy S6.
Continue reading: Samsung reportedly preparing four different Galaxy S7 models for 2016 (full post)
GPU sales: VisionTek Radeon R9 Nano for $400, MSI Gold GTX 980 Ti $659
The holidays are just around the corner, and retailers are starting to offer some pretty amazing deals on today's hottest tech. We've spotted some substantial deals on high-end GPU's that will have the gaming geek in your life jumping for joy, including MSI's Gold NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti for $659, an AMD Radeon R9 Nano for $403, and a Radeon R9 390 for $259.
First up we have NVIDIA's mighty GeForce GTX 980 Ti. You can pick up an MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6G Golden Edition for $659 at NewEgg, which can be knocked down to $629 with a $30 mail in rebate. The card also comes with a free copy of Black Ops 3 and NVIDIA's Blades or Bullets games bundle, offering the choice between Assassin's Creed: Syndicate or Rainbow Six: Siege. If you already have the games (or don't feel like keeping them) you could sell the game codes to make out like a bandit.
With 6GB GDDR5 VRAM and an overclocked core speed of 1190 MHz that's complimented by NVIDIA's stable drivers, the GeForce GTX 980 Ti is seen as the premiere powerhouse GPU on the market today. MSI's 6G flavors of the GTX 980 Ti are the cream of the crop, and our own GPU expert Anthony Garreffa called MSI's 6G GTX 980 Ti "the game enthusiast's dream" in his official review.
Continue reading: GPU sales: VisionTek Radeon R9 Nano for $400, MSI Gold GTX 980 Ti $659 (full post)
Samsung Gear VR launches today in Canada
Samsung's popular and affordable Gear VR launched last month in the US, but Canadian residents had to wait an extra few weeks to buy. That's over with now: the device is available through Best Buy, The Source, and Samsung Experience stores across the promised land.
Now for the bad news: whereas Gear VR launched in the US with a cool $99.99 price tag, it's $139.99 in Canada due to the currently weak Canadian dollar.
Best Buy says quantities are limited; The Source's inventory is on backorder and estimates if you order now, your device will ship December 16 (just about in time for the big day, if you're lucky).
Continue reading: Samsung Gear VR launches today in Canada (full post)
Gearbox Software opens AAA studio in Quebec City, Canada
Borderlands series developer Gearbox Software has opened a new studio in Canada's Quebec City, an increasingly tantalizing and popular destination for publishers and developers (high tax breaks and a strong talent pool tend to have that effect).
Gearbox has been headquartered in Texas for more than 16 years, and now, following the construction a new home base in Frisco, has decided it wants to expand out of the country. In doing so, it's appointing former business development director at Quebec Media Sebastien Caisse, Ph.D. as Co-Studio Head and Director of Operations at the new location. Meanwhile, former Art Director at Activision Pierre-Andre Dery will serve as Co-Studio Head and Studio Creative Director.
The new studio -- Gearbox Studio Quebec -- is now hiring, with the aim of developing AAA titles starting through 2016 and beyond.
Continue reading: Gearbox Software opens AAA studio in Quebec City, Canada (full post)
Sony caught raising digital PS4 game prices before holiday sale
Just to remind gamers that hardware makers really aren't interested in anything but money, Sony has just been caught red-handed in a shameless price gouging maneuver. The Japanese console-maker magically raised the prices of select games offered in a new holiday promotion sale on the European PS Store, with price boosts up to £10 or more.
Sony's PlayStation Store platform is notorious for its flash sales and offers, but a recent promotion reveals Sony takes part in the age-old tactic of bumping up sale items to recoup losses. Sony's new holiday sale on the PlayStation European digital storefront lists specific titles as buy one get one free, however a good portion of these games--including The Order 1886 and Until Dawn--had their base price adjusted right before the sale went live.
A quick glance at PS Prices, a site that tracks price data across the PlayStation Store, reveals the bad news. Before the holiday BOGO sale went live, The Order 1886 was sitting at a comfortable £34.99, but quickly jumped by 10 quid to £44.99, or €62 Euros. The Order 1886 is listed for only $19.99 in the U.S., which translates to a paltry £13 (€18).
Continue reading: Sony caught raising digital PS4 game prices before holiday sale (full post)
Research claims iPhone users love their cameras
A recent press release from PQI announced its upcoming iConnect Mini Apple storage device, but there was something hidden within that gathered my interest more than the rest.
This release claimed that PQI CEO, Spencer Chiu, has had access to "independent research" which found that "the average iPhone owner uses their camera app at least 3 times a day," showing severe dedication to smartphone usage. Whether this average is brought up due to things such as concerts, family outings or it's more of a constant 3-times a day thing is unclear, but users opening their app camera three times a day is an interesting statistic to learn either way.
Regular phone use coupled with the small non-expandable storage that Apple offers on its iPhone is why PQI had made this storage extender in the first place. It's especially prominent in countries like Australia where you're often rather limited on monthly downloads, meaning cloud storage can become a costly operation.
Continue reading: Research claims iPhone users love their cameras (full post)
This man literally streamed himself sitting and smiling for 4 hours
www.sittingandsmiling.com is exactly what it seems to be. Benjamin Bennett has live streamed and recorded himself literally sitting and smiling for four hours at a time, multiple times in recent history.
Available on his YouTube channel and website, Bennett provides no extra information in any form, with only a link to his website being pasted in each video.
Not totally new to the media, Bennett has already been featured on websites such as VICE. Claiming this venture to be completely devoid of purpose, an interview asked why exactly he began what he does, to which he replied, "I don't know. It seemed like something that the internet was lacking. It seemed like it needed to be done, and nobody else was going to do it."
Continue reading: This man literally streamed himself sitting and smiling for 4 hours (full post)
Fallout 4 weapons mod allows for unlimited carnage
Aptly named 'Any Mod Any Weapon', this new master PC mod for Fallout 4 allows users to throw any combination of modifications onto any Fallout 4 weapon they please.
While mods are limited in Fallout 4, this special 'update' removes any previous limitations, with a strong warning from the developer stating that "it's really fun!" While this mod doesn't pretend to add extra gameplay depth, there's no storytelling and its certainly not going to hit you right in the feels, it's going to allow you to blow things up like you've never done before.
Available now on Nexusmods, this particular beauty already had 5,568 unique downloads at the time of writing this article, with users urged to make the most ridiculous weapons possible, as seen in the video above.
Continue reading: Fallout 4 weapons mod allows for unlimited carnage (full post)
Comcast CEO defends data caps, likening it to gasoline
"Just as with every other thing in your life, if you drive 100,000 miles or 1,000 miles you buy more gasoline. If you turn on the air conditioning to 60 vs. 72 you consume more electricity," explained Comcast CEO, Brian Roberts, addressing why Comcast continues to place data caps on its customers, trying to liken it to 'real-world' ideals.
Roberts continued, "The same is true for [wired internet] usage", concluding "the more bits you use, the more you pay." As explained in a report by Ars Technica, Roberts ignored questions about Netflix data usage but addressed his services data caps as a whole.
While Comcast isn't completely disconnecting client internet when they reach the contract-agreed amount, customers are often charged an extra $10 for additional 50GB increments - being something that's unlikely to change, it seems. If you're interested in seeing the full interview, a video is available here.
Continue reading: Comcast CEO defends data caps, likening it to gasoline (full post)
Omate reaches its smartwatch crowdfunding goal in mere minutes
If you're interested in a brand new Omate Smartwatch design, you're too late - for the early bird entries at least. Raising over $100,000 in the first day of trading and currently sitting at $231,618 raised in total on IndieGoGo, Omate's new water resistant and carbon fiber bezel watch was blitzed by the public in no time at all.
Toting Android 5.1 and quoted as "the world's first standalone water resistant smartwatch," this product has already become 766% funded, reaching its original goal on December 9, 2015. There are still Omate Rise Standard Edition packs available for those looking to buy at $299 plus shipping, with the $209 and $199 early bird and early bird developer packs already clearing 500 units each.
This is yet another successful smartwatch crowdfunding campaign by this company and it's likely not the last. Here at TweakTown we will be receiving the TrueSmart+ when it hits the public around CES 2016, stay tuned for our thoughts.
Continue reading: Omate reaches its smartwatch crowdfunding goal in mere minutes (full post)
Facebook's custom AI hardware will be open-source, ready for Skynet
It looks like The Matrix and the Terminator movies weren't enough to make us stop trying to create an AI takeover, but now Facebook has just announced plans to open source its Open Rack-compatible hardware design for AI computing - something that has been codenamed Big Sur.
Facebook's Kevin Lee and Serkan Piantino explained that Big Sur was built to use 8 x high-performance GPUs, consuming 300W each. They were using NVIDIA's Tesla Accelerated Computing Platform, claiming that Big Sur was twice as fast as previous generations, something that were using off-the-shelf components and design.
The increased speed allows Facebook to train neural networks twice as fast, as well as exploring networks that are twice as large as before. In the end, training can be distributed between the 8 x GPUs, with the size and speed of the networks being scaled by another factor of two.
Continue reading: Facebook's custom AI hardware will be open-source, ready for Skynet (full post)
Xbox One and PS4 had 'best month ever', sales were up 14% last month
The NPD Group has put out their latest November 2015 report, highlighting that it was a good month for consoles. November was the best month for hardware sales on the Xbox One and PS4, with hardware sales growing 11% to $1.12 billion. This contributed a 2% rise in the overall industry, which hit $2.47 billion for the month.
NPD's Liam Callahan explains: "Growth was driven by console hardware, up 14 percent, which offset a 31 percent decline in portable hardware. November 2015 marked the best month ever in total unit sales for 8th generation consoles (Xbox One, PS4, and Wii U), surpassing sales of December 2014 (now second-highest), and November 2014 (now third-highest). Within console hardware sales there were dramatic differences by console generation as 8th generation console sales rose by 22 percent in dollars, 7th generation sales dropped by 76 percent in dollars, which is sharper than the year-to-date decline of 57 percent. In November 2015, 8th generation sales had 93 percent share of overall hardware sales, a 9 percentage point increase from last November".
Callahan also said that the PS4 and Xbox One sales are selling quicker than the Xbox 360 and PS3, where he added: "After 25 months, the combined sales for the PS4 and the XBO are 47 percent higher than the combined sales for 25 months of PS3 and Xbox 360 hardware sales".
Continue reading: Xbox One and PS4 had 'best month ever', sales were up 14% last month (full post)










