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Final 'Jurassic World' trailer ratchets up the anticipation

Ben Gourlay | Celebrities & Entertainment | Jun 8, 2015 6:37 PM CDT

The first entry in the wildly successful 'Jurassic Park' franchise since 'Jurassic Park III' thirteen years ago hits cinemas worldwide at the end of this week, and audiences that have been eagerly the latest entry 'Jurassic World' have been given a last minute teaser to whet their appetite with an action packed final trailer for the film.

Starring Chris Pratt from last years sci-fi mega-hit 'Guardians of the Galaxy', along with new and returning dinosaur species, 'Jurassic World' hits hits in 3D, 2D and IMAX screens worldwide starting on June 11.

We'll aim to have our review of the film for you this weekend.

Continue reading: Final 'Jurassic World' trailer ratchets up the anticipation (full post)

President Obama: Cybersecurity vulnerabilities will accelerate

Michael Hatamoto | Hacking, Security & Privacy | Jun 8, 2015 5:37 PM CDT

Cybersecurity issues are getting worse, President Barack Obama admitted recently, as the United States remains a lucrative target of foreign cybercriminals. Obama wants Congress to pass new cybersecurity legislation to help address mounting digital threats.

"We have known for a long time that there are significant vulnerabilities, and that these vulnerabilities are going to accelerate as time goes by, both in systems within government and within the private sector," Pres. Obama said during a Group of Seven summit.

It's a stark realization that the US government has been aware of cybersecurity issues, but favored the need on bulk surveillance activities. If nothing else, it looks like some private sector security firms and defense contractors will make a fortune helping the government upgrade.

Continue reading: President Obama: Cybersecurity vulnerabilities will accelerate (full post)

As expected, Apple unveils its Apple Music service during WWDC

Michael Hatamoto | Business, Financial & Legal | Jun 8, 2015 3:17 PM CDT

As expected, Apple Music was officially unveiled during the company's WorldWide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco today. The latest addition to the streaming market will cost $9.99 per month, or $14.99 per month for a family plan of up to six users.

The new Apple service will have more than 30 million songs available to music listeners. "In 2015, the music industry is a fragmented mess," said Jimmy Iovine, Beats Electronics co-founder, during WWDC. "That's why Apple intended to bring curated radio, personal collections, an on-demand catalog and interaction with artists all-in-one place."

Apple Music will launch for Mac and iOS products on June 30, with Microsoft Windows and Google Android releases scheduled for this fall.

Continue reading: As expected, Apple unveils its Apple Music service during WWDC (full post)

German company Thonet & Vander launch Kürbis Bluetooth speaker in US

Michael Hatamoto | Audio | Jun 8, 2015 2:53 PM CDT

German audio company Thonet & Vander has launched the Kürbis Bluetooth speaker in the United States. The company prides itself on allowing for high quality sound with minimal audio distortions or other issues.

Made from high density acoustic absorber (HDAA) wood that helps prevent vibration and sound leakage, the Kürbis also includes the Antimagnetic Shield to block external interference. Using its own procedures after years of modification, Thonet & Vander thinks you'll enjoy better bass reflex that the company says helps great sound fidelity.

The Thonet & Vander Kürbis is available now in the United States with a $199 MSRP.

Continue reading: German company Thonet & Vander launch Kürbis Bluetooth speaker in US (full post)

Enter for a Chance to Win the Master Chief Edition Xbox One

TweakTown Deals | Deals | Jun 8, 2015 9:26 AM CDT

Good news, gamers. You have a chance to win this special "Master Chief" edition Xbox One from TweakTown Deals.

One lucky winner will get an Xbox One, three extra controllers for friends, and a Kinect. And, of course, a pack of Halo games-Halo Combat Evolved: Anniversary, the newly remastered Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4, plus access to the new live action digital series Halo: Nightfall. The whole package is worth $650, so getting it for free is a pretty good deal.

To enter, just submit your email address over at TweakTown Deals-you can even majorly boost your odds of winning by sharing the giveaway with friends on Twitter. The more of your followers enter using your referral link, the more extra entries you'll get for yourself. Pretty sweet, huh? Head over to TweakTown Deals and enter before we beat you to it.

Continue reading: Enter for a Chance to Win the Master Chief Edition Xbox One (full post)

Virtual reality expected to draw major attention at E3

Michael Hatamoto | Extended Reality (XR) | Jun 7, 2015 10:02 PM CDT

E3 is going to begin next week in Los Angeles, and will feature some of the latest and greatest from the gaming industry. Virtual reality is expected to have a major presence at E3, with gamers learning to become more familiar with the rising format.

VR is expected to eventually take over the gaming market, and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) apparently is looking forward to the technology.

"I've already scheduled my own demos to make sure I'm seeing and experiencing everything, so I'm looking forward to VR and AR, finding out how those segments have matured over the past year," said Mike Gallagher, CEO and president of the ESA, in a statement to GamesBeat. "There's so much buzz and excitement. The idea that the technology could be used not only for great video games, but that it could be a $150 billion industry by itself..."

Continue reading: Virtual reality expected to draw major attention at E3 (full post)

Sony Music CEO sees great benefit from Apple streaming music service

Michael Hatamoto | Business, Financial & Legal | Jun 7, 2015 7:18 PM CDT

During its World Wide Developers Conference in San Francisco, Apple will announce its shiny new music streaming service. iTunes once was a music juggernaut for paid downloads, but consumers have migrated towards streaming music - and Apple wants to find a way to cash in.

Sony Music CEO Doug Morris thinks Apple's jump into the market will liven up streaming music:

"What does Apple bring to this? Well, they've got $178 billion dollars in the bank. And they have 800 million credit cards in iTunes. Spotify has never really advertised because it's never been profitable. My guess is that Apple will promote this like crazy and I think that will have a halo effect on the streaming business. A rising tide will lift all boats - it's the beginning of an amazing moment for our industry."

Continue reading: Sony Music CEO sees great benefit from Apple streaming music service (full post)

Many retailers still doubtful of Apple Pay, other mobile payments

Michael Hatamoto | Mobile Devices | Jun 7, 2015 5:30 AM CDT

Apple CEO Tim Cook predicted that "2015 will be the year of Apple Pay," as the company launched its mobile payment ecosystem.

The Apple PR machine has discussed Apple Pay successes: "We've spoken to all of the top 100 merchants in the U.S., and about half will accept Apple Pay this year, with many more the following year," an Apple spokesperson informed Reuters.

However, analysts, retailers and industry experts think there is far too much optimism being displayed by Apple - with less than a quarter of retailers currently accepting Apple Pay. Just four of the 98 retailers in the National Retail Federation top 100 US retailers will adopt Apple Pay within the next year.

Continue reading: Many retailers still doubtful of Apple Pay, other mobile payments (full post)

Oculus VR rumored to unveil glove-based input for Rift on June 11

Anthony Garreffa | Extended Reality (XR) | Jun 6, 2015 12:43 AM CDT

Oculus VR is set to unveil the first consumer version of the Oculus Rift on June 11 at its 'Step into the Rift' event, but company founder, Palmer Luckey, has taken to Twitter with quite the tease: a glove-based input device.

What could it be? We could see a Power Glove-like interface, where you have a pair of gloves that you'll use to control the Rift. Alternatively, you could see Oculus unveil a hand-tracking system with the Rift, thanks to their acquisition of Nimble last year. Whatever happens, we're about to be introduced to the future of technology, and we could not be more excited.

The tease comes in the form of a tweet from Luckey on Twitter, with a picture from The Wizard, a movie from 1989 that was pretty much one large Nintendo advertisement.

Continue reading: Oculus VR rumored to unveil glove-based input for Rift on June 11 (full post)

ASUS Radeon R9 390X DirectCU II OC details leak, has 8GB of GDDR5 RAM

Anthony Garreffa | Graphics Cards | Jun 5, 2015 11:51 PM CDT

We had a world exclusive with the first Radeon R9 390X spotted thanks to PowerColor, but now details have leaked on the ASUS Radeon R9 390X DirectCU II OC. The ASUS variant will feature 8GB of GDDR5 RAM, which is in line with our exclusive story on the Fiji XT-based Fury X and Fury featuring HBM, while the 300 series cards will be powered by GDDR5.

ASUS Radeon R9 390X DirectCU II OC details leak, has 8GB of GDDR5 RAM

The details leaked tease that the ASUS Radeon R9 390X DirectCU II OC will feature 8GB of GDDR5, 1070MHz Core, 6GHz on the 8GB of VRAM spread on a 512-bit memory bus. Connectivity wise, we'll have one DisplayPort, one HDMI, and two DVI-D. The ASUS Radeon R9 390X DirectCU II OC will sport 2816 stream processors, 176 texture mapping units (TMU) and 64 ROPs.

The 8GB of RAM being clocked at 6GHz is a change from the 5GHz on the R9 290X, so that's most likely what we can expect from the other Radeon R9 390X cards when they launch. ASUS has two 8-pin PCIe connectors on the card, and an estimated price of around $449 when it launches later this year.

Continue reading: ASUS Radeon R9 390X DirectCU II OC details leak, has 8GB of GDDR5 RAM (full post)

Slightly Mad Studios: Project Cars has sold over 1 million units

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Jun 5, 2015 11:29 PM CDT

Project Cars has been one of the most talked about games of the year, with Slightly Mad Studios announcing that they have sold over one million copies since it was released a month ago.

The studio, together with publisher Bandai Namco, released a statement with SMS head Ian Bell saying: "Throughout the development of Project CARS the community were instrumental in guiding the game - giving us feedback daily on each build iteration, telling us what needed improving, highlighting what they'd like to see included, and ultimately approving it as the racing game of their dreams. Even with this amount of early indication that the bold, ambitious vision we had was on track to be something that would truly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the existing leading titles in the genre, it wasn't until the first review scores came in that we truly realised how much Project CARS had resonated with both media, racing professionals, and gamers alike around the world".

He continued: "To now stand here having reached over a million players in such a short time really justifies the work both the team and the community have done over the years and solidifies Project CARS' future as the multi-platform racing experience of choice for fans around the world. And we'll be talking more about that future very, very soon".

Continue reading: Slightly Mad Studios: Project Cars has sold over 1 million units (full post)

Hands-on, or laps-on with the Corsair Lapdog at Computex 2015

Anthony Garreffa | Peripherals | Jun 5, 2015 10:14 PM CDT

Computex 2015 - One of the devices I wanted to use at Computex 2015 the most was the just-announced Lapdog, an accessory for your lap that houses a Corsair keyboard and mouse.

Underneath Lapdog is a considerable amount of padding and foam that makes it comfortable to sit on your legs, but I did find a few issues with this prototype - keep in mind, this isn't the final design. There's no room for your wrists on both sides (keyboard and mouse) and there's no vertical wiggle room for the mouse.

The top of the Lapdog houses a bunch of the cabling from the mouse and keyboard, which is something Corsair will be fixing in the new prototype. But, how did it feel to game on it? In a word: awesome. I was able to sit back on the couch and play Grand Theft Auto V on a 65-inch 4K TV without a problem, where I was far more comfortable than sitting at my desk.

Continue reading: Hands-on, or laps-on with the Corsair Lapdog at Computex 2015 (full post)

Rumor: Microsoft 1TB Xbox One bundle will be announced soon

Michael Hatamoto | Gaming | Jun 5, 2015 3:11 PM CDT

Microsoft plans to launch a new Xbox One bundle featuring a console unit with 1TB of storage and the shiny new controller with a 3.5mm audio jack.

There was a brief listing on Amazon for the console bundle, which includes The Master Chief Collection for $400, but it has been removed. The Amazon listing noted that the "item will be released on June 15, 2015," which means a public announcement is expected during E3.

Although 1TB of storage may seem like overkill for game consoles, it could become a necessity with the rise of downloadable content. Destiny weighs in at 25GB, while Batman: Arkham Knight will be 45GB - so you may want that larger storage space.

Continue reading: Rumor: Microsoft 1TB Xbox One bundle will be announced soon (full post)

Security experts say US government must make cybersecurity changes

Michael Hatamoto | Hacking, Security & Privacy | Jun 5, 2015 1:12 PM CDT

The US government has confirmed that records of current and former federal employees are at risk, following news that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) suffered a series of cyberattacks. Despite reportedly beginning in late 2014, it took until April before the intrusions were detected.

Here is some expert cybersecurity input regarding the breach:

There is a changing cybercriminal landscape that the United States has been relatively slow to adapt to:

Continue reading: Security experts say US government must make cybersecurity changes (full post)

Valve unveils the final design of its upcoming Steam Controller

Anthony Garreffa | Peripherals | Jun 5, 2015 6:22 AM CDT

After teasing the Steam Controller for the last couple of years, with a few different iterations, Valve has finally introduced the Steam Controller. The company will be pushing out a very limited quantity of these drives on October 16 for those who pre-order now. The full release of the Steam Controller is November 10.

The video above is a good way of showing off what to expect from the Steam Controller, where Valve promises that it will be a blend of the traditional controller, and the prevision of a mouse. The front of the Steam Controller has two large circular control areas, and an analogue control stick. It also features twin haptic feedback reactors, too. Round back, we have trigger buttons with both analogue pull and a digital switch.

Valve is selling the Steam Controller for $49, with the promise of up to 80 hours of gameplay from a pair of AA batteries, and a 5-meter range from your PC.

Continue reading: Valve unveils the final design of its upcoming Steam Controller (full post)

Seagate teases its impressive SandForce SF3500-based SSDs at Computex

Anthony Garreffa | Storage | Jun 5, 2015 6:06 AM CDT

Computex 2015 - Buying an SSD isn't easy these days as there are countless options: 2.5-inch, SATA 6Gbps, SATA 10Gbps, NVMe, PCIe SSDs, different controllers and much more. But Seagate was demonstrating its reference SSDs powered by their SandForce SF3500 controller.

The company was demoing an SF3500-based M.2 2280 SATA reference SSD at Computex 2015 with 500MB/sec+ performance in 80/20 mixed read/write workloads. The drive is powered by the latest 15nm MLC NAND flash from Toshiba, where performance is maintained at a much higher level than competing drives.

The SSD was so good at multi-threaded performance that Seagate were demonstrating the SF3500 controller running 9 x 1080p videos at once, from the single SSD.

Continue reading: Seagate teases its impressive SandForce SF3500-based SSDs at Computex (full post)

Crucial displays their 16nm TLC NAND flash, SSDs and RAM at Computex

Anthony Garreffa | Storage | Jun 5, 2015 2:57 AM CDT

Computex 2015 - We stopped by the Crucial and Micron offices during Computex 2015 to check out their range of NAND flash, SSDs and RAM. Starting with their two SSDs for consumers, the BX100 and MX200 SSDs.

Crucial's BX100 SSDs come in 120GB, 250GB, 500GB and 1TB with read speeds of up to 535MB/sec and varying write speeds depending on the size of the drive. The 120GB model has sequential write speeds of 185MB/sec, with the 250GB model capable of 370MB/sec and the 500GB and 1TB models pushing 450MB/sec.

The company was also showing off their Ballistix DDR4 range of RAM, offering up to 16GB in four different ranges.

Continue reading: Crucial displays their 16nm TLC NAND flash, SSDs and RAM at Computex (full post)

be quiet! demos their new Silent Base 600 case at Computex 2015

Anthony Garreffa | Cases, Cooling & PSU | Jun 5, 2015 2:23 AM CDT

Computex 2015 - One of the more beautiful cases being displayed at Computex this year was from German-based case and cooling manufacturer be quiet! with their new Silent Base 600 case.

The Silent Base 600 features two pre-installed Pure Wings 2 fans, with one being 140mm backed up by another at 120mm. Inside, be quiet! has spent considerable time with the construction and design of the Silent Base 600, for it to provide high cooling efficiency, along with silence.

Inside, there's plenty of room for expansion. be quiet! was demoing the Silent Base 600 with two NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan X video cards, the perfect look for the style of the Silent Base 600.

Continue reading: be quiet! demos their new Silent Base 600 case at Computex 2015 (full post)

New Wi-Fi chip claims 85% power reduction for IoT, chart within

Chris Smith | Processors | Jun 4, 2015 8:11 PM CDT

Computex 2015 - Rockchip has just unveiled its new "world's lowest power Wi-Fi technology," boasting an 85% power decrease for Internet of Things (IoT) devices when compared to predecessors and claiming it to provide similar power figures to Bluetooth 4.0 LTE.

New Wi-Fi chip claims 85% power reduction for IoT, chart within

The patented RKi6000 chip out of this Chinese company was announced during a stint at Computex 2015, with Rockchip stating that its new device uses around 20 mAh of power during use across a more convenient platform than the often range-limited Bluetooth 4.0 option.

There is also the added feature of 'Adaptive Dynamic Power Control Technology' which claims to adjust the chip's power configuration depending on data transmission requirements at any given time. Allowing for a better overall power consumption model when in stand-by or low-use situations.

Continue reading: New Wi-Fi chip claims 85% power reduction for IoT, chart within (full post)

Foreign breach of US data exposes 4 million employees

Chris Smith | Hacking, Security & Privacy | Jun 4, 2015 8:01 PM CDT

Authorities believe that a breach in US government data was thanks to a "foreign entity" and the Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched a full inquiry into who exactly stole the data on approximately four million workers.

This hacking spree took place through the US's Office for Personnel Management (OPM) and began in April 2015, with The Department of Homeland Security concluding that this attack had finished by the beginning of May - announcing the data as compromised.

Despite the implementation of EINSTEIN, private information on four million employees was stolen directly from the human resource systems, affecting OPM IT systems as a whole.

Continue reading: Foreign breach of US data exposes 4 million employees (full post)

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