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RumorTT: Samsung working on 12.2-inch high-end tablet
Samsung have countless devices within their Galaxy umbrella of products, but it looks like that is set to expand by a couple of devices. @evleaks is back yet again with some information he claims points to Samsung preparing two new slates.
The first, is a 10-inch tablet that would feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC, and the second, is a 12.2-inch slate that features the Exynos 5 Octa chipset and S Pen support. So, in other words, a Galaxy Note 12, maybe. Both devices are set to arrive with the mouth watering 2560x1600 resolution, which should be quite stunning.
Continue reading: RumorTT: Samsung working on 12.2-inch high-end tablet (full post)
Microsoft files DMCA Takedown with Google against itself
Last week during a team effort to combat piracy, a company working in conjunction with Microsoft filed a DMCA takedown request with Google which included 6 URLs from Microsoft itself. Yes, that means Microsoft filed a DMC takedown notice against itself on the grounds of copyright infringement. The links were generated by automated software and show how flawed the system truly is.
The software used to automate the process often hurts many more innocent webmasters than it does copyright infringers, and false triggers like this are far less rare than anyone would ever expect. In the past, Microsoft has accidentally filed DMC takedown request that targeted the US Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, TechCrunch, Wikipedia, BBC News, Bing, Google, and so many others that I could write all night and never get to the end of the list.
The takedown requests are becoming so frequent that in the past Google might have received 225,000 DMCA takedown request per week, but just over a year later they are receiving between 3.5 and 4.5 million requests every week. Google can not simply read every request and check for validity and as a result, the first half of 2013 saw Google erase 100 million links from their search engine all because an automated copyright crawler thought they might be infringing on someone's copyright. That number is double the amount of links Google removed in all of 2012 and several times more than in 2011.
Continue reading: Microsoft files DMCA Takedown with Google against itself (full post)
Cubitek unveils new silent mini-ITX aluminum chassis
Today, Cubitek Co. announced a new solid aluminum, silent mini-ITX chassis that was designed around a minimalist theme. Dubbed the Cubitek Mini Center, this super small form-factor chassis features passive cooling which allows a footprint so small that it can be tucked away into any niche you may need to fill.
Cubitek says that "the Cubitek Mini Center has an advanced passive cooling design and strategically placed ventilation further aided by the heat dissipating aluminum construction.This translates to silent performance when connected to the TV or sitting on the desk in the office. The brushed aluminum exterior on the front and sides of the Mini Center give this Mini-ITX chassis a minimalistic, elegant feel. The front and sides are not interrupted by anything such as button, lights or ventilation as to add a classical style to whatever room the Mini Center is in. "
With a footprint of just 7.8-inches x 9.8-inches x 7.8-inches, the Mini Center has room for two 2.5-inch SSDs or one 3.5-inch HDD and up to two VGA cards each up to 180mm in length. CPU coolers 85mm and shorter will fit inside as well as a full sized ATX PSU. USB 3.0 and HD Audio ports are available up front as well.
Continue reading: Cubitek unveils new silent mini-ITX aluminum chassis (full post)
Cooler Master announces CM 690 III, a refined successor to the 690 II
Today, Cooler Master announced the successor to its hugely popular CM 690 series of cases. The CM 690 III brings to life the third generation of one of the company's most popular PC chassis legacies. The 690 III retains the series' iconic sleek curved mesh styling, while the overall exterior takes design cues from its predecessors as well.
The interior is where you really begin noticing the major differences. Most notably is that the new 2.5-inch HDD cage designed for those with extreme SSD setups. Cooler Master says that with this new design, users can now fit up to ten SSDs inside or seven SSDs and three 3.5-inch HDDs. The SSD cage has the capacity to fit up to five 2.5-inch drives, while the HDD cage can handle an additional three 3.5-inch HDDs or three 2.5-inch SSDs. An additional two SSDs can be placed in built-in brackets behind the motherboard.
The mid-tower case also features support for graphics cards up to 423mm in length (with the removal of the SSD cage) and it supports CPU coolers up to 171mm tall. Cooler Master has also updated the ODD trays to feature a new tool-less system dubbed EZ-Tray. The 690 III can also support liquid cooling solutions with room for two simultaneous 240mm radiators in the top of the case as well as in the front. An additional 120mm radiator could also be installed in the rear. For those who prefer fans to handle the system cooling duties, the case is capable of supporting a total of nine fans with three of them being as large as 200mm. The CM 690 III will be available later this month and no pricing information was disclosed.
Continue reading: Cooler Master announces CM 690 III, a refined successor to the 690 II (full post)
The Old Reader to follow Google Reader to the grave
When Google first announced plans to shut down its popular Google Reader service, the web was set ablaze with millions of users scrambling to find a new RSS reader to call home. Amidst all of the hustle and bustle, three big names arose out of the noise and offered up awesome solutions to this new found problem.
Digg announced that it would begin building an RSS reader, while RSS reader veteran Feedly welcomed Google refugees with open arms. Finally, The Old Reader started to get major attention as it kept things simple and truly felt like the old Google Reader we were all about to lose. Unfortunately, it appears that the developers behind The Old Reader were flooded by the massive influx of users and as a result, were overwhelmed by the issues that come along with running a project used by millions of people daily.
Today, the developers behind The Old Reader announced that they will be closing all public access to the site in two weeks and will only be allowing a select number of users access to the private site. Currently, new user registration has been disabled and the site is not accepting any more new user accounts at all. Current users have two weeks to export their feed's OPML file that can be used to migrate to another service. I have posted the full release from the developers below.
Continue reading: The Old Reader to follow Google Reader to the grave (full post)
Buffalo announces TeraStation 3000 Series NAS
Today, Buffalo Technology unveiled the TeraStation 3000 Series of high performance NAS and iSCSI unified storage devices. Buffalo says that the TeraStation 3000 is a "feature-rich solution for small offices and professional users." The device consists of two different configurations including a stand alone unit as well as a 1U rack mount version. Both feature capacities from 4TB all the way to 16TB and are configured using high-performance RAID-based network storage. Processing is handled via a dual-core ARM processor and 1GB of RAM to keep transfers running smooth.
"The perpetual growth and evolution of storage and backup needs in the SMB market presents network administrators with the continual challenge of effective data management," said Matt Dargis, chief operating officer at Buffalo Technology (USA), Inc. "This challenge translates into a call on vendors to provide reliable, cost-effective solutions that address ever-changing file serving and capacity requirements. Buffalo is answering this need with our recently launched TeraStation 5000 Series, and now the TeraStation 3000 Series. We designed the TeraStation 3000 to deliver simplified management, optimized resource utilization and true disaster recovery protection at entry-level price points."
The TeraStation 3000 Series provides reliable unified storage with simultaneous NAS and iSCSI target functionality and is loaded with business class features such as:
Continue reading: Buffalo announces TeraStation 3000 Series NAS (full post)
Team Meat troll a scammer in epic hour long phone call about movie
I seriously hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it appears that there will not be a movie made around the vastly popular game Super Meat Boy... at least not from one director scammer. Last week, Team Meat, the guys behind Super Meat Boy, published an hour long conference call in which a "director" was wanting to discuss working up a script for Super Meat Boy the movie. The guys caught on pretty quick that the guy was a scammer and they played along over the course the next hour and hilarity ensued.
During the conversation, Team Meat noticed that the so-called director had not even played the game as he had no clue on any aspect of Super Meat Boy. He asked them to hire him for 2 months so he could generate a "Blueprint" for the storyline at the cost of just $4,000. He then said that if everything went well, they would have to front $12k in "buddy money" for script production and if everyone was in agreement, then he would refund the $16k total that Team Meat had invested. The catch was, however, that if the director was not happy at any point, he could just take the $12k and call the whole project quits.
The video, embedded above and hosted on YouTube, is definitely worth a listen, if not for the lulz, then for the insight into how some of the true con artists in America attempt to scam possible victims. At one point, the scammer asks for sales figures and the guys reply that they are waiting on Microsoft to pay them $7 million in owed sales, and that Super Meat Boy's sales on a "small-time platform known as Steam" were eclipsed by sales on Direct to Drive. Team Meat held it together for the entire trolling session, and I must bow down to their expertise as trolling masters.
Continue reading: Team Meat troll a scammer in epic hour long phone call about movie (full post)
Phil Fish, the developer of Fez calls it quits, says no Fez 2
It was just over a month ago that Phil Fish announced Fez 2 at E3, but this morning it appears that the sequel to the popular indie game Fez will never be. This morning, Fish announced that Fez 2 has been canceled and he is leaving the industry for good. In a statement, Phil Fish wrote: "Fez II is cancelled, I take the money and I run. This is as much as I can stomach. This isn't the result of one thing, but the end of a long bloody campaign. You win."
Fish was quite the outspoken indie developer and stirred the pot quite a bit on occasion. He was featured in the popular documentary Indie Game: The Movie in which the cameras followed his triumphs and struggles with delays, massive bugs, and legal battles over Fez. Fish took massive criticism over Fez throughout the development process and the remarks continued even after the game was released and had become a huge hit. Apparently these comments, the pressure of topping Fez 1, and the stress that comes with being the sole developer on a massive game were just too much for Fish to take.
Continue reading: Phil Fish, the developer of Fez calls it quits, says no Fez 2 (full post)
Dell enters beta testing of new thumb drive sized Android PC
A recent report by PC World is suggesting that Dell has recently started beta testing thumb drive sized Android mini PCs that could give Google's recent Chromecast a run for its money. Dubbed project Ophelia, the device is said to be similarly sized to the Chromecast but would feature much more functionality as it will run a full version of Android instead of a slimmed down version of Chrome OS like the Chromecast does.
Project Ophelia features the same style direct HDMI connectivity that Chromecast does and is said to feature a full version of the Google Play Store that would allow users to download the full complement of apps, games, movies, and books that other Android devices use. It will feature both Bluetooth 4.0 and and Wi-Fi, so wireless keyboards, mice, and the various Android-to-Android Wi-Fi-based remote apps that are growing so popular should work well.
Sources say that project Ophelia should retail for around $100, but for now, only beta testers are getting there hands on Ophelia, and we don't expect a release until sometime during the next fiscal quarter which could be as late as October. While the $100 price tag is a bit on the high-end in my opinion, this little device could spell big trouble for companies like Pivos, producer of the Xios DS Android-based set-top box that is one of the leading sellers for Android HTPCs.
Continue reading: Dell enters beta testing of new thumb drive sized Android PC (full post)
RumorTT: Nokia said to be prepping Bluetooth 4.0 "Treasure Tag"
The rumor mill is fired up and already pushing out fresh rumors this Monday morning. Today, the Verge is reporting that Nokia is in the process of mass producing a new Bluetooth 4.0 device that will pair with its Lumia line of Windows Phones. Dubbed the Treasure Tag, the device uses a combination of Bluetooth and Near Field Communication (NFC) to help you find things when they are lost.
The "Treasure Tag" is basically a small little tile that would let you track items using a purpose-built application. When the item you have tagged is lost, you can use the app to locate the item via a map which makes use of Nokia's LiveSight augmented reality view. This means that if you have lost your keys and you had a Treasure Tag attached, you could open up the app and view the keys' exact location on a mini map.
The process works in reverse, too. If you lose your phone, you will be able to push a button on the Treasure Chest and the app on your phone will activate an audible alert that will help you pinpoint the exact location of your missing device. It appears that the Treasure Tag is designed to be "always on" and will last about 6 months on its internal battery, but no mention has been made about battery replacement or rechargeability. The Treasure Tag is said to launch in the coming weeks after Nokia rolls out its Amber Update that will give Lumia devices Bluetooth 4.0 support.
Continue reading: RumorTT: Nokia said to be prepping Bluetooth 4.0 "Treasure Tag" (full post)
Cover-based shooter made with Oculus Rift and Razer Hydra
Oculus Rift developer forum user Teddy0K has made a first-person, cover-based shooter using Oculus' Rift VR headset in conjunction with Razer's Hydra motion controller.
Teddy0K shows us in the video (above) that the Hydra wand is attached to the gamer's chest, while the Hydra joystick is placed in your hands and used as your weapon, as well as controlling your forward and backwards movement within the game. The motion-controlled rig allows gamers to perform in-game actions such as ducking behind cover and blind firing over it.
What we see, is an updated version of Teddy0K's HydraDeck Demo. Teddy wrote on the developer forum: "The position tracking adds a tonne to the immersion of being in a virtual world. Please be careful when playing this demo, lots of people try to support themselves on the crates when they try to stand up or when leaning up against a column, but find there is nothing there!"
Continue reading: Cover-based shooter made with Oculus Rift and Razer Hydra (full post)
Amazon creates 5,000 new full-time jobs across the US
It wasn't long ago that we were reporting that US-based e-tailer Amazon reached record highs on their share prices, and not long after that we reported about Amazon tripling their employees to over 97,000 in the last three years.
Now the company has announced they've created 5,000 new full-time jobs in its US fulfillment network in order to meet increased customer demand. Amazon are quite generous, too, with their median pay in their fulfillment centers around 30% higher than employees in traditional retail stores. This isn't even counting the fact that Amazon offer stock grants to full-time staff, which add an average of 9% to base pay each year.
Dave Clark, Vice President of Worldwide Operations and Customer Service at Amazon said: "We're hiring more than 5,000 people to join our team and help us continue to innovate and serve our customers. We're focused on sustained innovation across Amazon and want to help our employees succeed-whether at Amazon or elsewhere-so we offer programs like Career Choice, where we'll pay for up to 95% of eligible employees' tuition regardless of whether the skills they learn are relevant to a career at Amazon."
Continue reading: Amazon creates 5,000 new full-time jobs across the US (full post)
Valve: No Half-Life 3 for E3 2014... Me? Tears
Valve took some time on Friday to squash a rumor from gaming blog NSS that Half-Life 3 was going to be shown at E3 2014. The report said that they had an e-mail from Valve developer John Guthrie, who said that the first-ever Half-Life 3 trailer, as well as a playable demo would be available at next year's E3.
He supposedly wrote: "I can't confirm all too much since the development is still in early stages, but for now I can confirm that we are going to release on both current and next generation consoles, and we will also release the game on our own platform exclusively for PC and Mac. We hope to have the first trailer ready for E3 2014, which we (after several times not attending) will finally come back to."
The creator of Half-Life has come out and said the report is "bogus", with the only reason they decided to step out of the shadows is because of how quickly the story had spread. I think we'll see it toward E3 2014, but I think we're going to see it released closer to the time that Oculus Rift hits the market.
Continue reading: Valve: No Half-Life 3 for E3 2014... Me? Tears (full post)
Using just basic tools, all GPS units across the world can be hacked
According to a new study, the world's GPS system is open to hackers who could hack virtually any and all GPS units and take control of commercial airliners, for example.
The tools required are simple: a laptop, a small antenna, and an electronic GPS "spoofer" which would cost $3,000. The report comes from GPS expert Todd Humphreys and his team at the University of Texas who took control of a sophisticated navigation system that was built into an $80 million, 210-foot super-yacht in the Mediterranean Sea.
Humphreys told Fox News: "We injected our spoofing signals into its GPS antennas and we're basically able to control its navigation system with our spoofing signals." The team hacked into the yacht's navigation system by sending it counterfeit radio signals and were able to navigate the ship off course, steering it in any direction they wanted.
Continue reading: Using just basic tools, all GPS units across the world can be hacked (full post)
Free iPads for all kids in Los Angeles schools by 2014
I'm only 30, but when I was in school we were still using pen and paper, and were barely enjoying Internet as we were one of the first high schools in my state to receive brand new Windows 95 PCs and we had dual 128k ISDN, which was amazing at the time.
Now news has broken out that the Los Angeles school board have signed a $30 million agreement with Apple that will see an iPad in the hands of each student in the Los Angeles Unified School District. CiteWorld have reported that the program will launch this fall, with 31,000 iPads being delivered to the district.
By 2014, this program will have expanded out to see 640,000 tablets delivered to all students in the district. The iPads that students will receive will have educational applications and other apps installed designed to help students with their studies. The program hopes to prepare students for the real-world by exposing them to technology that might not be available at home.
Continue reading: Free iPads for all kids in Los Angeles schools by 2014 (full post)
Refreshed Nexus 7 will receive two updates at launch
The refreshed Nexus 7 has barely even been released yet, but there's already updates being pushed out to the 7-inch slate.
The first update will start beaming to your device as soon as you connect to Wi-Fi for the first time, which is usually done during the setup process. The tablet will shut down, boot into recovery, apply the update which brings the slate up to build number JWR66N, and then brings the user back to the setup screen to resume signing into a Google account.
The second update is downloaded in the background, which then sends a notification for the update into the notification tray. Once the user accepts the update, it is applied and a new build number of JSS15J is applied. Both updates are minor, featuring some fine-tuning and last-minute bug fixes. All in all, the Nexus 7 is looking like the tablet to buy right now, it's even easy to repair, too.
Continue reading: Refreshed Nexus 7 will receive two updates at launch (full post)
How is gaming on triple 4K displays? Check out Dirt 3 at 11520x2160!
Before next-gen consoles are here, and they usher in a kind-of-1080p gaming experience for us, 4K (or Ultra HD) was announced. We've seen a few sites play around with 4K gaming, but how do three 4K displays handle a game? What kind of insane rig do you need for this?
Well, Microsoft have done it, where they've slapped three Ultra HD-capable Sharp PN-K321 displays with the help of AMD and ASUS with three ASUS DirectCU II 7970s to show off some insane Ultra HD gaming. Dirt 3 was chosen as the game for its wide panoramic effect, with a single ASUS DirectCU II 7970 capable of pushing out 35 FPS, oh, at 11520x2160.
Yes, 11520x2160... I'll let that sink in for a minute.
Continue reading: How is gaming on triple 4K displays? Check out Dirt 3 at 11520x2160! (full post)
Refreshed Nexus 7 teardown reveals ease of repairability
The second-generation Nexus 7 was unveiled a few days ago, but iFixit have gotten their grubby mits on it and torn it apart as they always do. Their complete teardown can be viewed here.
The refreshed Nexus 7 scored 7/10 for repairability, which is great. Entry into the refreshed Nexus 7 seems easy enough, as it only requires a plastic opening tool, but it might take a while for you to feel the back off of the 7-inch slate. Inside the tablet is a large battery, and an inductive charging coil.
If you want to continue tumbling down the refreshed Nexus 7 rabbit hole, you'll find out that all fasteners are actually just Phillips screws. Nearly all tablet users wouldn't ever have to dive that deep into their tablet, as it would get quite complicated to fix and is easier to send it back in to Google to get fixed.
Continue reading: Refreshed Nexus 7 teardown reveals ease of repairability (full post)
Nokia thinks Microsoft need to improve their Windows Phone platform
We all know that Microsoft's mobile OS, Windows Phone, isn't doing that well against the current champions found in iOS and Android. But when your strongest partner, Nokia, starts talking smack about your mobile OS, you should stand up and listen.
Nokia's Vice President, Bryan Biniak, spoke with IB Times UK on Friday, where he said that Microsoft haven't done enough to push their mobile OS against iOS and Android. Biniak added: "To give you a reason to switch. I need to make sure the apps that you care about on your device are not only on our phones, but are better. I also need to provide you unique experiences you can't get on other devices".
Biniak finished with: "We are releasing new devices frequently and for every new device, if there is an app that somebody cares about that's not there that's a missed opportunity of a sale. We are trying to evolve the cultural thinking [at Microsoft] to say 'time is of the essence.' Waiting until the end of your fiscal year when you need to close your targets, doesn't do us any good when I have phones to sell today."
Continue reading: Nokia thinks Microsoft need to improve their Windows Phone platform (full post)
Google's Chromecast sells out online in under 36 hours
When Google first announced Chromecast, I instantly knew it was going to be big. The $35 media streaming dongle has become an instant hit among technophiles everywhere in the US. When originally launched, Google offered the device for $35 and included three months of Netflix for free, which essentially made the device cost a total of $11 if you are already a Netflix subscriber.
Today, we found out that device has sold out on every online outlet it was being offered at. In just 36 hours, so many units were sold on the Google Play Store that shipping times were eventually listed as 6 to 8 weeks. Amazon and Best Buy's online store have both sold out, but Best Buy says that they still have some units available in-store.
I placed my order for the Chromecast just an hour or so after it was announced and selected two-day shipping, but Google has still not sent any shipping info to me, so tonight I'm going to head to my local Best Buy and see if they have any units in stock so I can bring all of you readers a wonderful review the first of next week.
Continue reading: Google's Chromecast sells out online in under 36 hours (full post)


