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3D-printed guns are on their way, Defense Distributed receives federal firearms license to manufacture them
Defense Distributed has received a federal firearms license, with company head Cody Wilson announcing this would allow his company to manufacture and sell the group's guns. The news comes from Defense Distributed's Facebook page, where they uploaded a photo of the license with a note saying "The work begins!"
Wilson has said that the Type 7 license he received will allow him the same rights as other manufacturers, where he adds: "I can sell some of the pieces that we've been making. I can do firearms transactions and transport." Wilson will be required to, of course, keep records on what his company makes and sells, but he doesn't have plans to sell anything until he receives a supplemental license to make a broader range of firearms.
Defense Distributed seem to be the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to 3D-printed gun companies, successfully testing 3D-printed rifle lowers and high-capacity magazines.
Battlefield 4 image emerges, confirms present day setting
Battlefield 4 will be officially announced later this month, on March 26 at the Games Development Conference 2013 (GDC), but for now we have the first image of the game. The image, below, confirms that the next-gen, first-person shooter will take place in the present day.
As you can see, the image shows off a soldier and various vehicles pushing through a city, which is in the background. Battlefield 4 continues on its predecessor's color scheme, of orange, black and blue - which is definitely not a bad thing. DICE's Karl Magnus Troedsson said last summer: "We still want to stay in this genre, the modern day as it is. We feel this is a place we can be and continue with the series. Battlefield 4 can live in this space and be very successful."
Something I'm looking forward to seeing is the unlocking of the potential of the graphics engine to be used, Frostbite 2. Frostbite 2's engine in Battlefield 3 was only utilized to a reported 30%, with Battlefield 4 pushing that right up to 80% with improved dynamic lighting and tessellation, among other goodies.
Continue reading: Battlefield 4 image emerges, confirms present day setting (full post)
RumorTT: Leaked specs on Nexus 5 "Megalodon", would be a smartphone powerhouse
Android and Me have received an an image from an anonymous source, claiming that they work for Google, telling them the image below is the real deal on the Nexus 5. Their source claims that the Nexus 5 would be released later this year, October to be precise, and that they are evaluating several prototypes from different manufacturers.
One of these prototype's is LG's, who made the Nexus 4, and is going under the codename of "Megalodon". Megalodon looks like a serious powerhouse, but before we get into them we will state that this is a serious rumor, and half of these specs are most likely not correct:
A Nexus 5 with a 5.2-inch display would make sense, since we're seeing more high-end smartphones feature bigger displays, like the Galaxy S4's 4.99-inch display. 3GB of RAM is quite insane, so is a 2.3GHz-clocked processor. The 16-megapixel rear-facing camera with 4k video recording is quite a step forward, as is the 3300mAh battery. I'd expect those specs to be the ones that change, but I do think we'll see Google put even more pressure on Apple going into the future. Bring it on!
Maxis chief admits SimCity could have had an offline mode
Well, well, well, here we are; Maxis' chief, Lucy Bradshaw, has come out and admitted what we all thought - SimCity was capable of an offline mode, but it conflicted with the vision that the developer had for the game. Bradshaw said Maxis had:
Bradshaw also added:
Continue reading: Maxis chief admits SimCity could have had an offline mode (full post)
Change.org petition for Google Reader exceeds 100,000 signatures
I know many of us are saddened by Google's choice to close down the Google Reader product. Many of the TweakTown staff use it daily. However, some good news has come out of the decision: new competitors are stepping up and developing new products or improving existing ones.
A petition was started on Change.org that asks Google to rethink its plans regarding shutting down Google Reader. Impressively, the petition has already surpassed 100,000 signatures. The Google Reader closure was announced just two days ago. For comparison, it took nearly 30 days for the White House petition regarding cell phone unlocking to gain a similar count.
We're not sure that this petition will have any effect on Google's stance. A Google spokesperson said in a statement, "We've given an overview of our reasoning and plans on our blog posts on the Official Google Blog and the Google Reader blog, and we'll be communicating directly with our users as we make these changes."
Continue reading: Change.org petition for Google Reader exceeds 100,000 signatures (full post)
Nintendo Wii U sales are underwhelming, fails to outperform monthly Xbox 360 or PS3 sales from last 7 years
Bringing you doom and gloom seems to be my job today. Nintendo's Wii U appears to be selling in underwhelming amounts. According to a Macquarie Capital analyst, Nintendo only managed to move 66,000 Wii U consoles in February, though 70 percent of those were the more expensive Deluxe Set.
According to NPD Group, Wii U sales actually went up in February by roughly 40 percent. However, this doesn't account for that many extra units as January's sales numbers were also low. The Wii U's price is likely to blame as it costs as much as, or more than, competing consoles that have extensive game libraries.
It's important to note that the Wii U's February sales numbers are lower than the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360's numbers from any month within the last seven years. Nintendo needs to repeat the success it saw with the 3DS after they dropped the price by dropping the price of the Wii U to a more competitive level.
Microsoft Surface tablets sold worse than expected
It's looking as though Microsoft's expedition into the tablet market might not be paying off as much as the company expected. According to people knowledgeable about Microsoft's sales, the company has reportedly only sold around 1.5 million Surface devices, meaning Surface RT and Surface Pro sales combined.
Bloomberg reports that only about 400,000 Surface Pro units and just over one million Surface RT tablets have been sold. This is in stark contrast to Microsoft's expectations which had the company moving two million Surface RT tablets in December alone. The company ordered around three million, so there is quite a bit of stock left.
Part of the problem is the high cost of the Surface device. Another issue is Windows RT. There has yet to be a compelling argument for the operating system. Intel continues to push x86 as a viable tablet chip and it's capable of so much more. Microsoft's Surface advertising certainly hasn't helped, either.
Continue reading: Microsoft Surface tablets sold worse than expected (full post)
My thoughts on Samsung's Unpacked 2013 press conference
I imagine that many of our readers tuned into the Samsung Unpacked 2013 event last night. If you didn't, you might have been following our coverage of the event. But, if you were just following our coverage, you missed out on quite the show. You missed out on the ridiculousness that was Unpacked 2013. Check it out for yourself:
We all know the basic story line that press conferences follow. Some big player will come up on stage and tell you about their new product. Some try to deviate from this basic story line by bringing up celebrities to endorse their products. Last night, Samsung deviated far from this basic story line to some success.
While I found the whole show quite contrived, it did have several funny moments thrown in. The humor didn't come naturally, but it still managed to get the occasional laugh. If you've ever been to Disneyland's Innoventions Dream Home, you'll probably understand what I mean by that.
Continue reading: My thoughts on Samsung's Unpacked 2013 press conference (full post)
RumorTT: Motorola X Phone will feature multiple models, small price tags
People have quite a bit more time to speculate on just what Motorola might be planning for the X Phone now that Samsung's Galaxy SIV has been detailed publicly. Again, we're hearing some incredible claims about what Motorola will be doing with this rumored iPhone-killing X Phone.
Like we warn with nearly every rumor, none of these details have been confirmed so don't take them for cold hard facts. However, the claims we are hearing now aren't so far-fetched. The Nexus 4 retails for $300, pretty cheap as far as phones go, especially considering that it comes without a contract.
The new rumors are saying that the X Phone will launch with an extremely low price point, possibly as low as $199. This low cost helps to explain why the device is said to only be coming with a Snapdragon S4 Pro, 2GB of RAM, a 4.65-inch display, and a 2,200mAh battery. It's not a bad phone in terms of specs, but it isn't the best.
SpaceTT: Comet Pan-STARRS shows off in brilliant fashion in the March skies
Last week I reported on a comet that was set to make an appearance in our twilight skies and even though it has dimmed past naked eye visibility, those with binoculars, telescopes and DSLR's can still view the spectacular Comet Pan-STARRS. Astronomers, astrophotographers and photographers across the US have captured some stunning images during it's week long visit and I want to share them with you.
First up is an image taken from Sumter, South Carolina by my good friend and fellow astrophotographer Hap Griffin (source #1). He captured the image which includes Pan-STARRS and the crescent moon in a single frame as they set behind a tree line near his home.
Up next is a breath-taking shot of Pan-STARRS that was taken by photographer Chris Cook (source #2) at First Encounter Beach, Massachusetts. The shot features Cook and his son standing on a hill gazing in wonderment at such a beautiful scene.
RumorTT: Upcoming budget iPhone to be featured in several different colors
It seems like it's been forever since I covered an Apple rumor, but today I am going to break that trend. Apple Insider is reporting that the Cupertino company will be keeping some old and bringing some new features to the table on it's upcoming budget model iPhone.
Analysts are saying that Apple may release the cheaper iPhone with the same 4-inch Retina display featured in the current generation iPhone, and that it's half millimeter thick plastic case could come in as many as six different colors in addition to the traditional black and white.
That sounds like a very thin, very easy to break case, but it is reportedly reinforced with glass fibers which makes it as strong, if not stronger, than current phones with plastic cases. The colors will be similar to those found in iPod's and should appease the mass of teens who will flock to the cheaper device.
Samsung Galaxy S4 official accessories detailed
The Galaxy S4 is the most full featured smartphone that Samsung has ever built, and as such, the phone has some dedicated "Smart Accessories" to match. Today, the Korean company has listed all of the official accessories on its Galaxy S4 micro site.
First up we have the S Band which is a fitness band that records your steps, calories burned and distance walked. It is followed by the Body Scale, which is a traditional but smart weight scale. It reports back to the Galaxy S IV via Bluetooth and can store date for up to four users. Both of these new accessories work in conjunction with the S Health app to help keep you in shape.
Up next is HRM or heart rate monitor which is a real-time heart rate tracking device. It sends heart rate data to the Galaxy S4 via Bluetooth, which is then displayed by using the Running Mate app. Another official accessory that is useful to those who run is the Head Set. It features two speakers in each ear bud and has a volume control pod built into the cable.
Continue reading: Samsung Galaxy S4 official accessories detailed (full post)
Samsung's Galaxy S IV game pad alludes to upcoming 6.3-inch device
Samsung's Galaxy S IV has been making major news all morning across the web, and as with such things, people are beginning to notice things that may allude to an upcoming new device. Engadget came across an interesting little tidbit of information while browsing the Galaxy S IV microsite.
One of the official accessories for the upcoming Galaxy S IV is a game pad that features a sliding clamp that secures the phone to the game pad. That's pretty awesome by itself, but what others failed to take notice of is the mention that it supports up to a 6.3-inch device.
Call me crazy, but I do not think that Samsung would include support for a larger device than it's flagship phone unless it were planning on releasing a device in the future that featured a 6-inch class screen. There are rumors that the next Galaxy Note phone would feature a screen in the 6-inch range. What do you think? Is this Samsung's way of leaking information about an upcoming device, or is it just a number on a screen that we should not worry about?
Continue reading: Samsung's Galaxy S IV game pad alludes to upcoming 6.3-inch device (full post)
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg claims #1 CEO spot, kicks Apple's Tim Cook to #18
Every year Glassdoor.com releases its Top 50 CEO list which is compiled from the results of a survey that hundreds of thousands of employees from all industries across the country complete. The recently released 2013 list saw some major changes in who is considered the best boss.
Last year Apple's CEO Tim Cook topped the list as Best CEO in America, but his reign was not to be repeated as Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg moved up the list by 14 spots to claim the throne. If you are wondering, Tim Cook fell 18 positions being beaten out by Google's Larry page who sits at the number 11 spot, and Amazon's Jeff Bezos who ranks number 16.
The rankings are based on who has the highest approval ranking among the companies employees. Other noteworthy names on the list are Quallcomm's Paul Jacobs at position 8, NVIDIA's Jen-Hsun Huang who is sitting at number 15, Intel's Paul Otellini who resides at 21, Bloomberg's cheif Dan Doctoroff at number 34, and Dell's founder Michael Dell who comes in at number 48.
HTC CMO says that the Galaxy S IV is just 'more of the same'
Both Apple and LG have come out swinging against Samsung before their unveiling of the Galaxy S IV, and now HTC have come out taking a swing. HTC were on the offensive during the Galaxy S IV launch, giving out hot cocoa and snacks to people waiting in line for the Galaxy S IV launch, even showing off their One handset to consumers.
HTC followed this up by offering up the hashtag "#theNextBigFlop", taking a swing at Samsung's slogan of "The Next Big Thing". The mocking didn't end there, with HTC's CMO Ben Ho saying that the Galaxy S IV is just "more of the same", and that his company's "all-aluminum unibody HTC One" with their "original cutting-edge technology, mouth-watering design and a premium feel" is what consumers really want. His full statement:
Continue reading: HTC CMO says that the Galaxy S IV is just 'more of the same' (full post)
LSI's Nytro WarpDrive PCIe flash cards get validated by NetApp
LSI have announced that their Nytro WarpDrive family of PCIe-based flash cards have been validated for use with NetApp, Inc.'s Flash Accel software. LSI have worked with NetApp to offer a complete server flash caching solution that injects some serious speed into application performance by converting server-based flash into 'hot' data cache for critical business applications.
Nytro WarpDrive cards are some of the first PCIe-based products to be tested and qualified to work with NetApp's intelligent server caching software. Tim Russell, VP of data lifecycle ecosystem group with NetApp, says:
Continue reading: LSI's Nytro WarpDrive PCIe flash cards get validated by NetApp (full post)
Rovio take the wraps off their Angry Birds cartoon series, arrives this weekend
Rovio's Angry Birds series, which started life as a humble iPhone game before exploding into the pop culture zeitgeist, continues to defy fears of shelf life stagnancy. The company will launch their first foray into the world of animation this weekend, with Angry Birds Toons, an original 52 episode series, to be rolled over the next year.
Whilst the series will initially be available via a link on each of the series iOs, Android and Windows Mobile apps, Rovio will be progressively rolling the series out to television screens and cable providers via deals penned with distributors all around the world, including the United States and Australia, details of which will be forthcoming from the Finnish company.
Rovio intend to keep expanding the franchise into new games and cross-media platforms, such as the foray with Lucasfilm which saw Angry Birds Star Wars launch in late 2012, along with new opportunities in toys and merchandising which will keep the series well within sights of its target audience, as it continues production on an animated Angry Birds movie due to be released in 2016.
Corsair unveils Vengeance Extreme, welcome to the world's fastest rated PC memory kits
Corsair have just unveiled their new Vengeance Extreme RAM, which is the world's fastest rated PC memory kits. Vengeance Extreme comes in at a DIMM-busting 3000MHz, in dual-channel kits of 8GB. The new Vengeance Extreme comes with low profile "racing red" heat spreaders, too.
The 3000MHz RAM is air-cooled with latency pegged at 12-14-14-36 at 1.65V. If you want to overclock this already super-fast RAM, included with the kit is a Kingpin Cooling memory cooler, which can be used for some LN2 action to push the ram far beyond its already quick 3000MHz. In order to even use this new kit of RAM from Corsair, you'll need a third-generation Core processor from Intel, with an Integrated Memory Controller capable of pushing 3000MHz.
Corsair's Vengeance Extreme 3000MHz 8GB kits are priced at $749.99 and will be available exclusively from Corsair.com later this month.
Jurassic Park 3D awarded harder rating by Australian censors, Jurassic Park 4 director announced
The Australian Office of Literature and Classification have seen fit to upgrade the censorship rating of Jurassic Park 3D to a higher 'M' rating, when the original 1993 cinema release was rated 'PG'. This odd choice for the Australian market comes at a time when the film's admittedly still strong visuals - once on the cutting edge of effects technology, have long been eclipsed by modern features. The choice has also surprised Mike Baard, Managing Director of Universal Pictures Australasia.
Universal Pictures hopes to re-ignite the Jurassic Park franchise in the minds of cinema goers, in the lead up to the release of the as yet untitled Jurassic Park 4 feature, which has been set for a (U.S.) summer 2014 release. Overnight, Jurassic Park 4 and Steven Spielberg long-time producing partner Frank Marshall tweeted the announcement of Safety Not Guaranteeds Colin Trevorrow as the director for the next sequel, which is deep in pre-production. Little is known about the film, other than the assumption it will revolve around dinosaurs doing what dinosaurs do best - running, roaring, and as the franchises' history would suggest; easting people.
Samsung Galaxy S IV Smart Scroll and Dual Camera features in detail
With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S IV, Samsung introduced some really cool software features. The Galaxy S IV is mainly focusing on unique software features that can set it apart from the competition. The two software features that I want to bring to your attention are the Dual Camera technology and Smart Scroll.
First off, the Dual Camera technology. The Galaxy S IV has software features that allow you to simultaneously record video and take pictures from the front and back cameras. The software then puts the two pictures together into a single image so that the person stuck taking the picture doesn't have to be left out.
Other cool features of the camera is the ability to turn the front-facing camera on and off while the camera is recording. Samsung has also introduced a feature that allows sound to be recorded before or after a picture is taken. Additionally, the camera is capable of taking 100 frames in four seconds. The software then picks some good pictures from those frames and combines it into a single picture. They call this feature Drama Shot.
Continue reading: Samsung Galaxy S IV Smart Scroll and Dual Camera features in detail (full post)


