SanDisk launches 256GB Extreme Pro CFast card for 4K HD video

Charles Gantt | Storage | Sep 13, 2013 6:26 PM CDT

Anyone who has ever attempted to shoot HD video knows that anything above 720p requires massive amounts of storage for high frame rates and good quality. With 4K video quickly becoming the norm, SanDisk has responded to this need for high-capacity, high-speed storage for 4K compatible video recording.

Today, SanDisk announced its new 256GB Extreme Pro CFast card that has been designed with 4K videographers in mind. The card has write speeds of up to 65MB/s and fast shot speeds up to 140MB/s. SanDisk says that the card has been designed to support Cinema-quality 4K and full HD video capture.

Unfortunately, this is not a card you just walk down to Walmart and buy when you forget your other one at home. Retailing at $1810, this card is a little pricey for your everyday average shooter. As an ex-professional photographer, the price does strike me as being a little high.

Continue reading: SanDisk launches 256GB Extreme Pro CFast card for 4K HD video (full post)

RumorTT: Nudity appears to be confirmed in GTA V, screenshot inside

Charles Gantt | Gaming | Sep 13, 2013 4:23 PM CDT

A recently leaked screenshot popped up on Reddit today that appears to confirm the question on everyone's mind. If the photo is real, then we will see not only nudity in Grand Theft Auto V, but you will be able to grope and fondle the strippers in the game.

We have blurred out the image for obvious reasons (which can be found after the jump), but I can assure you that the image above contains anatomically correct nudity. You can also see a prompt in the image that warns you to not get caught by a bouncer while fondling the stripper.

After the major Hot Coffee controversy that surrounded GTA San Andreas, the decision to include nudity in GTA V is quite unexpected. How do you feel about nudity in GTA V? Let us know in the comments.

Continue reading: RumorTT: Nudity appears to be confirmed in GTA V, screenshot inside (full post)

Intel's Haswell takes command in new updated NUC lineup

Charles Gantt | Computer Systems | Sep 13, 2013 3:13 PM CDT

Earlier this week at the 2013 Intel Developer Forum, Intel announced the addition of two new products to its small form-factor NUC lineup, both of which feature the company's new Haswell processors. The D54250WYK sports a Core i5-4250U and the D34010WYK houses the i3-4010U.

While both of these Haswell processors feature hyper-threading, only the Core i5 model supports TurboBoost, which can boost the processor's clock speeds up to 2.6 GHz when temperatures are favorable. The Core i3 model is stuck at its 1.7GHz clock and features a slower integrated GPU than the HD Graphics 5000 IGP inside the i5.

Other than the processors, the two models are basically the same machine. Both feature 4K monitor support thanks to DisplayPort technology, and a mini HDMI connector also provides additional video out connectivity. Gigabit Ethernet is also supported via a port on the back of the box.

Continue reading: Intel's Haswell takes command in new updated NUC lineup (full post)

G.Skill shares video of live demo of 3000MHz DDR3 RAM at IDF 2013

Charles Gantt | RAM | Sep 12, 2013 7:45 PM CDT

Earlier this week I reported on new DDR4 memory from G.Skill, and in that report I included some photos and information on a kit of DDR3 that G.Skill overclocked to an outstanding 3000MHz. Today G.Skill has sent over a video showing further proof of the stability of their DDR3 DIMMs running at 3000MHz.

The video is not very long, but you can clearly see that the DIMMs are running at the reported speed, and that things appear to be stable. This is very exciting and with this new revelation, I bet we will see some new world records coming out of the G.Skill camp very soon!

Continue reading: G.Skill shares video of live demo of 3000MHz DDR3 RAM at IDF 2013 (full post)

Q&A with Omate, and its Kickstarter-funded TrueSmart 'Smartwatch 2.0'

Anthony Garreffa | Wearable Computing & Fashion | Sep 12, 2013 6:43 PM CDT

Omate seems to be doing quite well on Kickstarter for its TrueSmart smartwatch, requiring $100,000 of funding. But, Omate has hit a home run with its 'Smartwatch 2.0' pulling in (at the time of writing) $744,499 of funding with 7 days left to go.

We thought we'd get in contact with them and ask them a few questions about its upcoming 3G-capable TrueSmart device.

Q: Who is Omate?

Continue reading: Q&A with Omate, and its Kickstarter-funded TrueSmart 'Smartwatch 2.0' (full post)

Cisco will acquire Whiptail to strengthen Unified Computing Systems

Charles Gantt | Business, Financial & Legal | Sep 12, 2013 6:19 PM CDT

Today Cisco announced that it intends to acquire the solid state memory manufacturer WHIPTAIL for $415 million. Cisco says that this acquisition will strengthen the company's Unified Computing System strategy and enhance application performance by introducing scalable solid state memory into the UCS's fabric computing architecture.

Our good friend, Jim Handy of Objective Analysis was kind enough to send over his take on the whole acquisition and I have posted the entire statement below. Jim says that he feels that this move by Cisco was a good decision and that the price seemed reasonable enough based on other recent acquisitions in the market.

Cisco announced on Tuesday its intent to acquire privately held Whiptail, which Cisco says will strengthen Cisco's Unified Computing System (UCS) fabric computing architecture by integrating high performance solid state memory systems. With UCS, Whiptail, and data center switches Cisco says it will: "accelerate Cisco innovation and momentum in the converged infrastructure."

Continue reading: Cisco will acquire Whiptail to strengthen Unified Computing Systems (full post)

Crucial unveils new 64GB DDR3L Load-Reduced DIMMs for servers

Charles Gantt | RAM | Sep 12, 2013 5:16 PM CDT

Today, Crucial announced the launch of its all-new 64GB DDR3L Load-Reduced DIMMs for use in enterprise servers. Crucial says that the new LRDIMMs enable more DIMMs per channel which is able to double the memory capacity per server, and saves companies money by not having to purchase additional machines.

These new 64GB Crucial DDR3L Load-Reduced DIMMs offer up to a 35-percent increase in memory bandwidth when compared to standard DIMMs, and are much more power efficient as they operate on 1.35V over the 1.5V standard found in other DIMMs. The company says that these new memory modules are also compatible with OEM servers and warranties which allows users to upgrade their existing infrastructures without having to shell out the cost for new systems.

"For memory-intensive server applications such as cloud computing, virtualization, and in-memory databases, optimizing the capabilities of new or existing hardware is by far a more cost-effective solution than purchasing additional servers," said Michael Moreland, worldwide DRAM product marketing manager, Crucial. "The new 64GB Crucial LRDIMMs allow servers to reach the maximum amount of installed memory possible, which can enable dramatic performance gains in memory bandwidth and overall server productivity, all while reducing power costs relative to adding additional servers."

Continue reading: Crucial unveils new 64GB DDR3L Load-Reduced DIMMs for servers (full post)

Corsair launches its new Ultra-Quiet RM Series Power Supplies

Charles Gantt | Cases, Cooling & PSU | Sep 12, 2013 4:16 PM CDT

Today Corsair announced that it has launched a new line of ultra-quiet power supplies. The new RM series is the direct replacement of Corsair's TX series and feature and 80 PLUS Gold efficiency rating. The new RM PSUs feature whisper-quiet operation and a fully modular design that is sure to appease enthusiast everywhere.

Corsair says that the RM series is built with low-noise capacitors and transformers, and that the PSU features a Zero RPM fan mode which only activates the cooling fan under the heaviest of loads. This allows for near silent operation during everyday use. However the custom-designed fan is also extremely quiet at all speeds and allows the PSU to remain exceptionally quiet even during heavy load times.

Optionally each of the new RM PSUs can be purchased with Corsair's Digital Bridge Cable (Standard on the 1000W model) which allows the power supply be connected to a PC motherboard or a Corsair Link hub to enable real-time monitoring of fan speeds and 12 V power delivery via the Corsair Link Software. The RM series begins at 450W and ranges up to 1000W in size and will retail from $89.99 up to $169.99. The RM series is available now for purchase at hardware retailers everywhere.

Continue reading: Corsair launches its new Ultra-Quiet RM Series Power Supplies (full post)

NSA has no issues sharing your personal data with Israel

Anthony Garreffa | Hacking, Security & Privacy | Sep 12, 2013 5:29 AM CDT

On September 11 of all days, a new leak from Edward Snowden has appeared online thanks to The Guardian, which reports that the NSA shares raw intelligence data with Israel without sifting through it first.

Snowden revealed the startling news, with an intelligence-sharing agreement detailed in a memorandum of understanding between the US spy agency and its Israel counterpart. This has unveiled that the NSA hands over intercepted communications that would contain American citizens' phone call records and e-mails (and most likely much, much more). The agreement between the spy agencies has no legally binding limits on the use of the data by the Israelis.

The deal was inked back in March 2009, with the agreement between the US and Israeli spy agencies "pertaining to the protection of US persons" repeatedly stressing the constitutional rights of Americans to privacy, as well as the need for Israeli intelligence staff to 'respect these rights.' The agreement saw the Israeli spy agency with "raw Sigint", which is signal intelligence.

Continue reading: NSA has no issues sharing your personal data with Israel (full post)

4K TVs to halve in price within twelve months claims UK retailer

Anthony Garreffa | Displays & Projectors | Sep 11, 2013 9:28 PM CDT

One thing that needs to happen to Ultra HD TVs is the price needs to come down to an affordable level so that they go more mainstream, and according to one UK retailer, this should happen within the next twelve months.

Jonathan Marsh Head Buyer at John Lewis spoke exclusively with TrustedReviews, where he said: "We are going to see big steps in 4K next year. At the moment there is a premium associated with 4K and we have seen that since launching the first 4K TVs a couple of months ago. However, as we've seen these technologies mature, they have come down in price and become much more affordable very quickly."

We have already seen numerous TV manufacturers unveil, and release a few 4K-capable TVs, but pricing is still quite high. Once we see some new screen sizes, with the average being 55-inch or so, come down, this will drag the price down with it. Marsh continues: "With more OLED next year, we will new sizes come to the market which will also bring the price point down to a more manageable level. At the moment all the 4K TVs are pretty big and around 55-inches. The natural step is that we will see 46-inch models developed for next year."

Continue reading: 4K TVs to halve in price within twelve months claims UK retailer (full post)