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Windows Phone to soon reach one million sales per week

Anthony Garreffa | Business, Financial & Legal | Jan 14, 2013 3:34 AM CST

In this world of iOS and Android dominance, the voice of Windows Phone isn't heard too much. Well, now we have something to go on. Forbes' latest report is talking about Qualcomm's CES keynote, in which Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer ran onto the stage and spilled some numbers.

During his speech in the Qualcomm CES keynote, he said that the latest Windows Phone was selling "five times more devices than the same period last year". There are no exact numbers here, but if we go back to Q4 2011, we're looking at around 2.5 million units. Ewan Spence, who wrote the article for Forbes, he made:

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Continue reading: Windows Phone to soon reach one million sales per week (full post)

Anomymous hack MIT website, leave an Aaron Swartz tribute

Anthony Garreffa | Hacking, Security & Privacy | Jan 14, 2013 1:46 AM CST

The tragic supposed suicide of digital activist, and co-founder of Reddit, Aaron Swartz happened just days ago and now Anonymous have stepped into the ring to play [hacking] ball. They leave a tribute message to Swartz, which says:

The link to see it is here, and at the time of writing wasn't loading. I'm sure MIT will have the site updated shortly.

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Continue reading: Anomymous hack MIT website, leave an Aaron Swartz tribute (full post)

Asustor targets the NAS market with a full feature lineup

Chris Ramseyer | Storage | Jan 14, 2013 12:35 AM CST

CES 2013 - Asustor, a division of ASUS pieced together from former staff from QNAP and Synology, displayed their 2013 product lineup at CES. Within six months the team moved from their ideas to working products and a select few models are already listed at e-tail outlets.

The Asustor products look very good and have a lot of functionality. Initial products includes 8, 6, 4 and 2-bay models, all from the 6 Series. At CES we also saw the first rackmount products shipping later this year.

The units look very good and after a demonstration we're convinced that on consumer features, Asustor is ahead of the competition. The 6-Series gives users the ability to turn the lights off or even dim them on the NAS. With HDMI connectivity now a standard feature in NAS products, more of these units are headed to the living room and away from the network switch.

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Continue reading: Asustor targets the NAS market with a full feature lineup (full post)

The Internet Archive expands storage to 5 petabytes

Anthony Garreffa | Internet & Websites | Jan 13, 2013 11:32 PM CST

The Internet Archive hosts unbelievable amounts of data, and stores something like 150,000,000,000 URLs and the associated data for these addresses. There has been a campaign pushing for donations so that they could expand their storage and store even more Internet history.

The Internet Archive have now announced they've almost doubled their storage, giving them the capacity to store some 240,000,000,000 (that's 240 billion) URLs - this works out to just over 5 petabytes of storage. All of this data gives you the ability to walk down the Internet Archives' Wayback Machine, cranking the dial all the way back to 1996 all the way up to last month.

The image above is a shot of our site, all the way back in May of 2000!

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Continue reading: The Internet Archive expands storage to 5 petabytes (full post)

We drop a Corsair Survivor 16GB pen drive from 10th floor hotel room at CES on video - does it survive?

TweakTown Team | Extended Reality (XR) | Jan 12, 2013 3:48 AM CST

CES 2013 - Our own Trace Hagan and Chad Sebring had the idea earlier today to drop a new Corsair Survivor 16GB pen drive from their hotel room in Las Vegas at CES 2013 to see if the drive would actually survive. What else do you do when CES is over? Have some fun!

As you can see in the video above, it was a big drop for the fairly weighty device, but it did indeed survive. Chris Ramseyer was on the ground clearing the area for safety. He straight away plugged in the drive to test it, and it popped up in Windows and showed the data which was saved on it before the drop.

Tomorrow Trace Hagan is going to attempt to take the test a little more extreme - stay tuned for another video if all goes to plan!

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Continue reading: We drop a Corsair Survivor 16GB pen drive from 10th floor hotel room at CES on video - does it survive? (full post)

Plextor unveils new M5 Pro Extreme and next-gen form factor (NGFF) SSD's

Paul Alcorn | IT/Datacenter & Super Computing | Jan 11, 2013 4:28 PM CST

CES 2013 - At CES 2013 Plextor revealed the new M5 Pro Extreme SSD, this SSD features new TSOP Toshiba Toggle NAND, providing higher performance in the 19nm SSD category.

This new version of NAND will lead to a lower price point for end-users. The new firmware can also be used with older versions of the M5 Pro, so current owners of the M5 Pro will not be left out in the cold.

The M5 Pro Extreme features a Marvell 9187 controller which provides up to 540MB/s in sequential read and 470MB/s in sequential write speeds. Perhaps most impressive is the 100,000 random read IOPS and 88,000 random write IOPS.

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Continue reading: Plextor unveils new M5 Pro Extreme and next-gen form factor (NGFF) SSD's (full post)

QNAP announces TS-X70U-RP Series and firmware 3.8 with HDMI Media Support at CES 2013

Chris Ramseyer | Storage | Jan 11, 2013 3:22 PM CST

CES 2013 - QNAP hit the show floor in full stride with a little something for everyone.

The new TS-1270U-RP is the first in a new series from the company. The new systems use an Intel Celeron dual-core processor and support 10GbE Ethernet with up to 1800MB/s throughput (Dual Ports Teamed).

The new unit is on the bottom so we had to use the smaller 8-drive version to do our spin around, back side pics.

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Continue reading: QNAP announces TS-X70U-RP Series and firmware 3.8 with HDMI Media Support at CES 2013 (full post)

Samsung's SSD Angels at CES 2013, improving your computing experience one notebook at a time

Chris Ramseyer | Storage | Jan 11, 2013 3:13 PM CST

CES 2013 - The Samsung SSD Angels, made popular by their videos on YouTube, made an appearance at CES 2013. The Angels first appeared in Europe where they popped up at events to swap out notebook mechanical drives with Samsung SSDs. The swap is free to those willing to take the plunge.

The tour trailer, decked out in Samsung marketing has all of the goodies that make the transformation possible.

We popped in to see the Angels in action. On our visit they were updating the notebook of a passerby and he seemed very happy. If you are in the Las Vegas area grab your notebook and come to the Convention Center. The SSD Angels are located outside of the show floor, by the giant registration tent in the front parking lot.

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Continue reading: Samsung's SSD Angels at CES 2013, improving your computing experience one notebook at a time (full post)

Windows RT jailbreak tool released, allows regular x86 apps to work

Charles Gantt | Software & Apps | Jan 11, 2013 12:51 PM CST

About a week ago, reports surfaced of a workaround that allowed unsigned ARM-based applications to run on Windows RT, and now a member at the XDA-Developers forum has created a jailbreak tool that automates the process, making it easy for non-tech savvy users to run unsigned apps.

The jailbreak tool is based on the same tethered technique shown by the hacker "clrokr", meaning that the jailbreak will have to be applied each time the device is rebooted. While not ideal, this saves you from having to modify the Windows kernel.

x86 programs cannot simply be installed using this technique, they still must be recompiled for the ARM architecture. Still, this hack opens up huge doors of opportunity for the home-brew crowd, as well as developers and hackers alike. It is still up in the air if Redmond will issue a patch, effectively blocking the crack, or if they will embrace the DIY community and leave sleeping lions lying.

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Continue reading: Windows RT jailbreak tool released, allows regular x86 apps to work (full post)

Ubuntu phone OS walkthrough on a Galaxy Nexus, looks so good - I'm ready to buy it

Trace Hagan | Software & Apps | Jan 11, 2013 12:50 PM CST

CES 2013 - Canonical was in attendance of CES 2013 and at the show they had Galaxy Nexus devices running its new Ubuntu mobile OS. I got a chance to take some video of the device, though I was not allowed to touch it at all. A Canonical employee walked me through the device in the video embedded below.

To be quite blunt, I'm ready to buy the device. I'll toss my iPhone in the trash and buy this thing tomorrow, if it were available. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait until the end of the year for devices running the operating system to be available, but until then, the operating system should continue to be polished even further than it already is at this stage of its development.

The video is definitely worth watching as it demonstrates the interface of the operating system, which is quite a bit different from the other operating systems available. Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments below.

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Continue reading: Ubuntu phone OS walkthrough on a Galaxy Nexus, looks so good - I'm ready to buy it (full post)

Reebok and mc10 partner up to build head impact sensing CheckLight, helps diagnose concussions

Charles Gantt | Wearable Computing & Fashion | Jan 11, 2013 8:51 AM CST

Head trauma in sports has always been a major concern in impact sports. In 2012 we saw the NFL take a lot of heat over its current and former players experiencing multiple concussions. Reebok and mc10 have developed a wearable head impact detector that makes it easy for medical staff to see where the impact took place.

Called CheckLight, the device resembles a skull cap and is worn on the head under protective hear such as helmets. The sensor itself is actually an array of flexible force sensors that are connected to a micro controller that illuminates three indicator LEDs. One LED is a battery indicator, one flashes yellow if the impact was mild, and the third flashes red for severe blows.

Verizon, Intel and Ridell all have similar systems in the R&D phase, but CheckLight is the first to hit the market. What sets it apart from the rest is that coaches, training staff and even other players can get somewhat of an indication whether or not a player has suffered a serious hit and needs to be taken out of the game.

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Continue reading: Reebok and mc10 partner up to build head impact sensing CheckLight, helps diagnose concussions (full post)

Three new designs from Silverstone based on the same internal layout and are about to offer braided cabling

Chad Sebring | Cases, Cooling & PSU | Jan 11, 2013 7:35 AM CST

CES 2013 - Meeting with Tony in the Silverstone suite I was introduced o tree future chassis designs. The chassis in this image is the RV04, yes this is the new Raven! The front of the chassis pulls air through the side, and forces it through this inverted ATX chassis interior. They have had many users say that the typical ninety degree rotated interior wasn't what they wanted, so Silverstone now offers this internal layout for the new revision.

Right next to the Raven is the new FT04, or Fortress series of cases. This chassis keeps the same exact interior, this time plus sound dampening material. The front uses a rolled aluminum front bezel reminiscent of the TJ11 uni-body design with rounded edges.

Right next to the Raven is the new FT04, or Fortress series of cases. This chassis keeps the same exact interior, this time plus sound dampening material. The front uses a rolled aluminum front bezel reminiscent of the TJ11 uni-body design with rounded edges.

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Continue reading: Three new designs from Silverstone based on the same internal layout and are about to offer braided cabling (full post)

Zalman enters the all-in-one cooling game, also offers something new in air cooling

Chad Sebring | Cases, Cooling & PSU | Jan 11, 2013 6:35 AM CST

CES 2013 - Since AIOs are so popular these days, Zalman is jumping into the game and is now offering their own trio of LQ series coolers. In the image you can see the thick radiator, LQ320, and they are also offering smaller ones including the LQ315 and LQ310. After having it explained that the LQ320 has more surface area than an H100i, I for one an eager to get to test one, or all of these when I return home from CES.

If you want an AIO, but ant to step away from the standard offerings, Zalman is also offering this AIO billed as the CI Water Cooler. Essentially using one of their air coolers to send the liquid through its 8mm heat pipes, this unique take on an AIO will appeal to those who are looking to use something that the average Joe may pass on.

In the air cooling market Zalman is offering a passive cooler called the Cube. This cooler is comprised of six radiator sections, and while huge, promises to offer good thermal results with absolute silence. It also has the ability to take on a 92mm fan for those situations, such as overclocking, where its passive nature may need a little additional help.

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Continue reading: Zalman enters the all-in-one cooling game, also offers something new in air cooling (full post)

Zalman offers a trio of cases at CES 2013 to fit every need!

Chad Sebring | Cases, Cooling & PSU | Jan 11, 2013 6:29 AM CST

CES 2013 - Starting off with the new gaming flagship chassis from Zalman, the MS800 Plus should suit most people's needs. This chassis offering things like removable covers on the front covers that can be done from the outside, fan controller, and a great mix of style and feature set.

Moving into Mid-tower chassis design, Zalman offers the Z12 Plus. This resembles the larger MS800, but still has a front finish all of its own. Again you have the option of a windowed side panel, dust filters, and a similar layout, but the fan controls on this smaller chassis have been changed to slider switch.

The last chassis I want to discuss is a complete departure from the first two cases. The Z11 is much more aggressive externally, and while chunky and wide-bodied, all of the angles, bump outs and the extended window all have an intended purpose. He sides are extended t allow air flow to pass the HDD rack and allowing the fans at the front t produce good results even if all of the bays are full. As for the extended side window, it not only matches the rest of the design, but offers an additional 20mm of spacing to allow for much tower coolers to reside inside.

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Continue reading: Zalman offers a trio of cases at CES 2013 to fit every need! (full post)

Google throws $200 million into the wind, the Texas wind project that is

Anthony Garreffa | Business, Financial & Legal | Jan 11, 2013 2:31 AM CST

There's a wind project in Texas that is capable of generating an astounding 161 megawatts of energy, enough to power 60,000 average homes across the US. Search and mobile giant Google have now invested $200 million in the project.

Google have injected the investment into the Spinning Spur Wind Project in Oldham Country, Texas, which is run by EDF Renewable Energy. This new $200 million investment is the 11th investment the search giant has made in renewable energy since just 2010. With all of Google's investments, their total output across their invested facilities is now a crazy 2 gigawatts of energy.

The Spinning Star facility begun construction in February 2012, and was opened for commercial operation in December last year. The Spinning Star facility features 70 Siemens 2.3 megawatt turbines, and the energy it generates will be pumped into a utility company named SPS, which provides for the Texas and New Mexico areas. Kojo Ako-Asare, Senior Manager of Google Corporate Finance has said:

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Continue reading: Google throws $200 million into the wind, the Texas wind project that is (full post)

For the first time in five years, PC sales drop in Q4 2012

Anthony Garreffa | Business, Financial & Legal | Jan 11, 2013 1:31 AM CST

It's not like you or I did not see this coming in this smart device heavy world, but PC sales are now dropping according to new data from analysis firm IDC. IDC's latest data from Q4 2012 "marked the first time in more than five years that the PC market has seen a year-on-year decline during the holiday season".

The analysis firm said that although Windows 8 has launched, worldwide PC shipments reached 90 million units which is 6.4% lower than what they reached last year. Jay Chou, Senior Research Analyst with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker said in a statement:

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Continue reading: For the first time in five years, PC sales drop in Q4 2012 (full post)

Beats Audio to release new music streaming service later this year

Anthony Garreffa | Software & Apps | Jan 11, 2013 12:38 AM CST

Thanks to Beats Audio's acquisition of music subscription service MOG, we should expect an iTunes-like music service to be launched from the company. Currently going under the codename of Daisy, the company announced the service on Thursday and have chosen Ian Rogers to oversee "the direction, vision and strategy for project 'Daisy' and the talented team developing the service.

Beats Audio have also announced that Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails fame, has been appointed Chief Creative Officer. CEO and co-founder of Beats Audio, Jimmy Iovine, has said:

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Continue reading: Beats Audio to release new music streaming service later this year (full post)

Lian Li had a train, a lot of anodized aluminum, and a chassis almost large enough to live in!

Chad Sebring | Cases, Cooling & PSU | Jan 10, 2013 11:57 PM CST

CES 2013 - Arriving to Lian Li's booth on the floor, there was a few sections of track allowing the PC-CK101 to run back and forth to attract everyone to their booth, or at least make them stop so that the representatives could then show off some of the new trends and creations.

On the tiny side of chassis design, there was this PC-Q27 which is a mini-ITX chassis that is intended to be a show piece as you have this chassis running your HTPC. While the design is atypical to most, the sleek design, slight curve to the chassis, and the large window in such a small chassis makes me think many people may be looking to add this chassis to their living room!

Using this view of the new PC-V850 as an example, you will notice that Lian Li is also thinking outside of the box with this new motherboard tray concept. Instead of blocking off the entire back side of the chassis, they are now offering mounting bars. This not only saves on cost without needing so much aluminum, but also will offer better cooling for the motherboard since there isn't a large plate to trap the heat. This is not the only chassis to take on this new concept; in fact, this is a design feature I see Lian Li is going to use much more as time progresses.

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Continue reading: Lian Li had a train, a lot of anodized aluminum, and a chassis almost large enough to live in! (full post)

Western Digital shows off new hybrid SSD at CES 2013, known as SSHD

Anthony Garreffa | Storage | Jan 10, 2013 11:34 PM CST

CES 2013 - Western Digital have unveiled something quite interesting at CES this year, where they've shown off some new hybrid solid state technology known as SSHD. The new tech features the speed of a decent SSD, but the capacity that a mechanical HDD would feature.

WD says that the solid state storage will continue to be much more expensive than traditional drives for the foreseeable future. This makes WD change gears and work on hybrid drives in the meantime, until we get to a point where pricing drops to more "competitive" levels in regards to flash storage. The demo that took place at CES saw the drive loading a bunch of applications to measure just how long it takes to load.

The Tech Report reported that it took 81 seconds to complete the task using a standard drive, and just 51 seconds on a normal SSD. On WD's hybrid SSHD, it took only 55 seconds - less than 10% longer than a normal SSD, but much faster than a traditional mechanical-based HDD. WD says that the incoming writes from the host system aren't stored on the NAND, with the caching system being controlled by the firmware and host-based software drivers.

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Continue reading: Western Digital shows off new hybrid SSD at CES 2013, known as SSHD (full post)

InWin borrows from Ducati to inspire the new D-Frame as well as showing some other goodies

Chad Sebring | Cases, Cooling & PSU | Jan 10, 2013 11:10 PM CST

CES 2013 - As I checked the show floor, I met up with InWin to have a look at what they are going to offer this year. After some discussion, and of course a bunch of images, I got into some of the finer details of what was shown and what will soon be on the pages of TweakTown.

First on the table is a white version of the GR One. We have already seen and reviewed this chassis, but as with all manufacturers, white is the obvious revision choice to start with.

Second in the line-up is the H-Frame which I have not seen up close and personal, well at least until now, and I finally got to see what all of the review and forum hype was all about.

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Continue reading: InWin borrows from Ducati to inspire the new D-Frame as well as showing some other goodies (full post)

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