Latest News - Page 2751

CES 2015 -OCZ Storage Solutions displayed the Z-Drive 6000 NVMe SSD in their suite at CES 2015. The Z-Drive 6000 sports speeds of 3,000 MB/s for sequential read and 2,000 MB/s for sequential write workloads. Random reads weigh in at an outstanding 700,000 IOPS, and random writes are equally impressive at 175,000 IOPS. The Z-Drive 6000 will provide 1-3 DWPD, which is becoming the standard for most datacenter SSDs, largely due to increased density. The Z-Drive 6000 utilizes the NVMe interface, covered in detail in our Defining NVMe article.

The Z-Drive 6000 comes in capacities of 800GB, 1.6TB and 3.2TB in the small 2.5" 15mm form factor. The Z-Drive leverages the proven PMC-Sierra Princeton controller running OCZ-proprietary firmware. The Z-Drive 6000 is certified for NVMe specification 1.1b on the UNH-IOL integrator list. The drive also features all the normal enterprise trimmings, such as encryption and internal data redundancy.

The end of the SSD reveals a row of open slots that take advantage of the native linear airflow patterns inside the server. 2.5" PCIe SSDs use ExpressBay, a multi-protocol externally accessible storage slot that supports 2.5" or 3.5" devices compatible with the SFF-8639 connector. Standard drive bays are limited to 9 Watts of power, but ExpressBay bumps that up to 25 Watts, which is also the limit for the Z-Drive 6000. The Z-Drive also features optional lower power states. ExpressBay also provides additional airflow to dissipaten more heat. The unique airflow implementation for the Z-Drive 6000 will help to keep the drive cool and avoid any thermal throttling issues.

CES 2015 - Get ready ladies and gentleman. The time has come for your dreams to be fullfilled. For the first time Phison Electronics displayed what may be the first 2TB consumer SSD in a 2.5" form factor. This isn't a 15mm z-height SAS SSD from the enterprise world, but a true to name, 2.5" drive. From what we can tell, the internals should even fit in a 7mm z-height case like the new Corsair Neutron XT that also uses the new Phison S10 controller.

As you are well aware now, Phison is a controller maker that also included firmware for customers who's names you are more familiar with, such as Patriot, Corsair, My Digital SSD and so on. The new S10 controller was already rolled out in the Corsair Neutron XT SSD and more recently the Patriot Inferno.

Neither the Neutron XT nor the Inferno were announced in a 2TB class but we have to wonder how long it would be before one of these innovative companies breaks the mold and delivers the first 2TB SSD that power users, enthusiasts, and prosumers are demanding from SSD manufacturers.

CES 2015 -Samsung has the advantage, for the time being, of being the only manufacturer shipping 3D NAND products. V-NAND is 3D NAND that achieves better density, performance, endurance, and power consumption, via vertical stacking of the NAND cells and CTF technology. This runs counter to the established norm of increasing density through NAND shrinks, and with good reason. Shrinks provide more density, but actually reduce endurance.

We have a more detailed analysis of V-NAND in The V-NAND Paradigm Shift article. Samsung has the 10nm class MLC NAND 16Gb and the 32-layer 128Gb TLC 3D V-NAND on display. The TLC (or 3bit) versions of V-NAND boost capacity, and also provide increased endurance in comparison to standard planar TLC NAND. Planar TLC has already made its way into the client and enterprise space despite the lower endurance, and 3D TLC V-NAND is on the way to the datacenter as well.

The 3D TLC V-NAND packages top out at 128Gb, and Intel has announced a move up to 256Gb. Samsung is also working on denser dies, but further details aren't available at this time. Current planar NAND designs feature a maximum density of 128Gbit per chip, but V-NAND is expected to enable up to 1Tb per chip by 2017. Toshiba also has 3D NAND on the roadmap, so the battle for 3D NAND supremacy is well underway.

CES 2015 - Today Phison showed us a glimpse of the future. The company's new S10 controller was on display running Toshiba TLC NAND flash.

The S10 has already entered the market with products from Patriot, Corsair and others but those products use more expensive MLC flash.

Sandisk, Toshiba's NAND flash manufacturing partner in Flash Forward, is already shipping the Ultra II SSD with Flash Forward TLC NAND. The Toshiba TLC has yet to ship in a consumer SSD so this is exciting news because it means the company is closer to bringing the flash to market.

Microsoft Windows 10 is scheduled for release before the end of 2015, and it has made OEMs hopeful that consumers will show support for the operating system. Lenovo, the No. 1 PC manufacturer in the world, has seen increased consumer interest in Windows 10 - a trend that other hardware manufacturers and analysts have seen.

"I think customers are anxious to breathe some life into that product," said Peter Hortensius, chief technology officer of Lenovo, in an interview with PC World at CES. "We're obviously very bullish and hopeful on Windows 10."

Windows 8.1 was a good OS, Hortensius noted, but Windows 10 will resolve the problems that consumers saw with the operating system. Furthermore, Windows 10 will be integrated across a number of different platforms, instead of the chaotic mess Microsoft left users and developers with during its Windows 8/Windows Phone effort.

Originally reported by Kotaku, Riot Games are working on building their own network across North America and Europe to help combat and defeat lag in their popular MOBA title - League of Legends (LoL).

This goes to show how big LoL has really come. These days if you're travelling into the city on a train or bus, you can often hear the youngsters going on about a penta-kill they achieved last night, or how they think Teemo is the cutest and most annoying character on the planet.

The basics of this announcement is that Riot Games are working on their own direct network for LoL traffic, helping combat lag. Riot's official explanation of this implementation is as follows:

Hot on the heels of the news that 'Game of Thrones' will be rocking out later this month in IMAX cinemas, HBO have now confirmed when fans will see the first episode from the next season of the lauded TV show.

The first entry of the 10 episode run will premiere on Sunday, April 12 and will adapt material from the fourth novel in the series 'A Feast for Crows' and the fifth 'A Dance with Dragons'. Of the new characters introduced in this season includes Obara Sand, portrayed by New Zealand born actress Keisha Castle-Hughes and well known character actor Jonathan Pryce who plays 'The High Sparrow'.

The fourth season of 'Game of Thrones' will be released on DVD and Blu-ray next month, in a lavish box set filled with extra features.

The Call of Duty $1 million 2015 Championship information has just been released, following their massive success during 2014.

Advanced Warfare is the platform this year, seeing the finals held in Los Angeles over March 27-29. This year's tournament is sponsored by Microsoft and Xbox One, alongside the popular tournament and event conductor, MLG.

The online qualifiers will be run on Xbox One consoles, seeing the finals streamed live over Xbox Live and 'other networks' - likely involving Twitch TV, Azubu and YouTube streaming platforms.

The tablet market will see its sales growth continue to shrink in 2015, with just eight percent market gain expected in 2015. There will be 233 million tablet units sold worldwide, and Google Android will continue to lead the way.

As expected by Gartner and other analyst groups, tablets weren't a significant draw during CES 2015 - while tablets will continue to sell, they've largely lost lost momentum gained over the past four years.

"The collapse of the tablet market in 2014 was alarming," said Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner, in a press statement. "In the last two years global sales of tablets were growing in double-digits. The steep drop can be explained by several factors. One is that the lifetime of tablets is being extended - they are shared out amongst family members and software upgrades, especially for iOS devices, keep the tablets current. Another factor includes the lack of innovation in hardware which refrains consumers from upgrading."

Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden answered questions for a video interview with NOVA, from June 2014, discussing cyber warfare programs on the national level.

The Regin malware, likely created by the American NSA or British GCHQ, is an example of how clever governments have become in their effort to spy on one another. Unfortunately, there is growing concern that these types of cyberattacks could have real militaristic consequences, though countries tend to deny any and all attributions of their crimes.

"Now, this is something that people don't understand fully about cyberattacks, which is that the majority of them are disruptive, but not necessarily destructive," Snowden said. "One of the key differentiators with our level of sophistication and nation-level actors is they're increasing pursuing the capability to launch destructive cyberattacks, as opposed to the disruptive kinds that you normally see online, through protestors, through activists, denial of service attacks, and so on. And this is a pivot that is going to be very difficult for us to navigate."

CES 2015 - You heard it here first ladies and gentlemen - measuring sound in distance is the new big thing! However, in all seriousness, this speaker has some pretty crazy reach for such a small package.

Rapoo have just announced their new A200 speaker at CES 2015, featuring a range of colors and 360-degree sound emission and the ability to project sound up to 33-feet away, this product has been designed with the outdoors in mind.

Most portable speakers available today don't contain many rugged features, so Rapoo have gone all-out by providing a durable design and brightly-colored exteriors so it will last and also be easily found.

CES 2015 - We've released a few news articles on Rapoo's new gaming branch, VPRO, bringing out brand new PC gaming peripherals, but now it's time to take it back a notch.

Rapoo have just announced their first range of protective tablet cases, offering built-in Bluetooth keyboards into the mix. Suitable for a wide range of models including Samsung's 8", 8.4", 10.1", 10.5" and Tab Pro 12.2" models, these cases feature an ultra-slim design.

This line of keyboard cases is set for launch in Spring 2015 and will be listed at between $49.99 - $99.99 in major retail stores.

Each year, the US Library of Congress adds up to 25 "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant films" to its list of films for preservation and in 2015 the Library has announced it will add another 25 films from directors such as Steven Spielberg, John Hughes, Ethan Coen, Howard Hawks and the first short film from Pixar; 'Luxo Jr.'

According to ArtDaily, the list of new inductees set for preservation include: 'Saving Private Ryan', 'Rosemary's Baby', 'Little Big Man', 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off', 'The Big Lebowski, 'Luxo Jr.', 'House of Wax', 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory', 'Ruggles of Red Gap', 'Please Don't Bury Me Alive!', 'Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport', 'Felicia', 'Moon Breath Beat', 'The Dragon Painter', 'Shoes', 'Unmasked', along with seven reels of untitled and unassembled footage from the earliest days of motion pictures.

With the latest batch, the National Film Registry includes a total of 650 films, the full list of which is available here.

CES 2015 - Looking slightly similar to the Blue Snowball, Samson's new Meteorite microphone claims "professional-quality recording and improved communication" as per their recently issued press release.

Claiming to bypass the "computers standard mic capsule and noisy sound card, in favor of the Meteorite's studio-quality 14mm capsule and dedicated audio conversion path," this product will hit the shelves at a price of $39.99 - the same pricing as their new mini-microphone.

Connected to your computer via USB, Samson claim that this device is best suited for Skype, FaceTime and other VoiP software implementations.

CES 2015 - Being pushed to the market for a low price of $39.99, Samson have just announced the release of their new Go Mic Direct to the public. This portable microphone solution connects to your PC or Mac via USB technology, said to be small enough to not block surrounding ports on laptop devices.

Coming with Samson's Sound Deck Noise Cancellation software for PC and Mac, this product is designed to be small enough to carry everywhere you go - stating in their recently issued press release that "With Go Mic Direct, you'll never want to use your Computer's internal microphone again."

I don't think that statement is too far from the truth. My laptop microphone sucks, as does the one in my girlfriends All-in-One Toshiba PC - if this microphone is as small and well-performing as they state, I'll be picking up a couple for myself.

Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai complemented employees and partners for their support and patience following a late 2014 cyberattack. Hirai is optimistic that Hollywood actors and companies will continue to choose to work with the company in 2015 and later down the road - despite how damning some of the information leaked was, likely hurting SPE's reputation.

"We are still reviewing the effects of the cyber attack," Hirai told reporters during CES. "However, I do not see it as something that will cause a material upheaval on Sony Pictures business operations."

Meanwhile, the company is still analyzing full effects of the attack and data breach, which revealed former and current employee personal information, leaked emails, unreleased films, and other company-related information.

The quarter ending November 2014 saw drastic change thanks to the Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launch, with iOS able to chomp into Google Android's lead. The iPhone 6 was the highest selling phone during that specific quarter, accounting for 19 percent of all US smartphone sales, according to the Kantar Worldpanel research group.

"A decline in Android market share does not necessarily translate into bad news for all the ecosystem's players," said Carolina Milanesi, Chief of Research at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, in a statement. "The choice of brands and devices within the ecosystem empowers consumers to drive different fortunes for the players in it."

Apple iPhone sales racked up 47.4 of smartphone sales in the United States, 4.3 percent higher year-over-year - and iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus are reportedly still going strong. Android still controls 69.9 percent of the mobile OS lead in Europe, dropping 3.2 percent year-over-year.

CES 2015 - Smart and connected technologies accessing the Internet of Things (IoT) have generated significant interest during CES 2015. Manufacturers mainly promoted the benefits of their connected devices, though cybersecurity experts and government regulators want consumers to be aware of potential risks.

Security and privacy concerns could become major headaches for consumers, manufacturers, and security experts embracing connected devices. Collection of personal data with - and often times without - consumer consent, how that information is used, and the theft of data currently are the biggest security concerns.

"Any device that is connected to the Internet is at risk of being hijacked," said Edith Ramirez, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chairwoman, in a statement made during CES. "Moreover, the risks that unauthorized access create intensify as we adopt more and more devices linked to our physical safety, such as our cars, medical care and homes."

CES 2015 - Chinese electronics company Lenovo has successfully led its PCs and laptops into the United States and Europe, hoping to mimic that success with its smartphones.

"The next step for Chinese smartphone makers is to go overseas," said Yang Yuanging, chairman and CEO for Lenovo, in an interview with Sina news at CES. "But whether they are able to compete in the global market remains an issue."

Based on global smartphone shipments alone, Lenovo was No. 4 in the world after shipping 16.9 million units during Q3 of 2014, according to IDC figures. However, its acquisition of Motorola will bump its market share from 5.2 percent in Q3 2014 up to 7.4 percent currently, leapfrogging Xiaomi and now trailing behind Samsung and Apple - though will face a tough road to try catch up to either company.

CES 2015 - It wasn't too long ago when 3DTVs were generating a lot of attention from consumers and hardware manufacturers - but that buzz quickly died down in favor of 4K ultra-high-definition (UHD) and curved displays.

Samsung announced its SUHDs, while Sony, LG Electronics, and other companies dive into the UHD market.

Some TV manufacturers began rejecting 3DTVs at CES 2013 and CES 2014, such as Vizio and Panasonic, with wasted time and resources invested into 3D research. There is still great appeal for 3D technology among PC users - and gaming - but it doesn't look like TV manufacturers are going to waste their time.