News Archive: December 2013

Catch up on breaking tech stories, key trends, and the latest updates across gaming, mobile, PC hardware, AI, and more.

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• DROPOUTJEEP - the NSA program that backdoors every iPhone#NSA reportedly has a backdoor to every single #iPhone.Dec 30, 2013 9:14 PM CST
• BlackBerry's CEO John Chen says company will return to profitibilityBlackBerry's new CEO, John Chen, says that the company is "well-positioned for the future."Dec 30, 2013 7:23 PM CST
• Samsung unveils 8Gb LPDDR4 mobile DRAM, could lead to 4GB smartphonesSamsung unveils 8Gb LPDDR4 mobile DRAM chips, could lead to 4GB and 8GB RAM-based smartphones in 2014.Dec 30, 2013 12:45 PM CST
• Google and Audi said to be developing next Android in car systemGoogle and Audi team up to bring Android to high-performance, luxury vehicles.Dec 30, 2013 11:13 AM CST
• Nokia's Lumia 520 accounts for 30-percent of all Windows PhonesNokia's Lumia 520 series dominates Windows Phone landscape with 30-percent market-share.Dec 30, 2013 9:21 AM CST
• Ex-Lead Designer for HTC prosecuted in Taiwan for fraud and leaksIf HTC didn't already have enough troubles, its ex-Lead Designer has been prosecuted in Taiwan for fraud.Dec 28, 2013 9:33 AM CST
• Lenovo plans to carry momentum into the smartphone industryLenovo is going to make a big splash in the smartphone industry moving into 2014.Dec 28, 2013 8:34 AM CST
• Users more worried about identity theft than privacyAccording to a new study, 75% of people are more worried about personal info being stolen, rather than browsing history.Dec 27, 2013 11:35 PM CST
• Battlefield 4 banned in China over "national security" reasonsLOLWOT: China bans Battlefield 4 citing "national security" concerns.Dec 27, 2013 7:33 PM CST
• Security researchers warn of cross-platform DDoS botnetThere's a new DDoS Botnet that is becoming a big threat to PCs.Dec 27, 2013 7:10 PM CST
• More talk of the Samsung 12.2-inch tablet, could launch any day nowMore rumors of Samsung to unleash a 12.2-inch tablet.Dec 25, 2013 11:36 PM CST
• Steam Holiday Sales today include Skyrim, Deus Ex: HR with 75% offGet yourself Skyrim and Deus Ex: Human Revolution for 75% off today with the Steam Holiday Sales!Dec 25, 2013 6:32 PM CST
• Samsung to skip the smartwatch? Move to the Galaxy Band fitness bandSamsung rumored to release the Galaxy Band fitness tracking band next year.Dec 24, 2013 7:36 PM CST
• Apple teases 'desk-free' PC, patents the ideaApple patents the 'desk-free' PC, wants to see wireless charging go mainstream.Dec 24, 2013 6:33 PM CST
• Sapphire unveils new Radeon R9 270X Dual-X 4GB modelSapphire unveils a 4GB model of the Radeon R9 270X Dual-X GPU to meet Battlefield 4 recommended specs.Dec 23, 2013 8:00 PM CST
• Seagate Technology set to acquire Xyratex LTDSeagate gearing up to purchase HDD testing hardware company Xyratex for $347 million.Dec 23, 2013 2:00 PM CST
• First major US retailer to accept Bitcoin in the second half of 2014Overstock.com, a major US retailer, will accept Bitcoins as payment in the second half of next year.Dec 21, 2013 11:34 PM CST
• Ubuntu finally embraces SSD's by adding TRIM supportCanonical adds TRIM support to Ubuntu, now safe to use SSDs on the OS.Dec 20, 2013 8:31 PM CST
• Pyle rolls out the Bluetooth fitness scalePyle Audio unveils its new Bluetooth Fitness Scale.Dec 20, 2013 5:45 PM CST
• The Division will stand out on the PC, "won't be a port"The Division on the PC "won't be a port, but a full-fledged, optimized version"Dec 20, 2013 4:35 AM CST
• Cyanogen secures $23 million in funding, this is just the beginningCyanogen Inc. secures $23 million through Series B funding, will launch a mass consumer brand and service in late-2014, or early-2015.Dec 20, 2013 3:36 AM CST
• EA slapped with class action lawsuit over Battlefield 4Class action lawsuit has been filed against EA over the problematic mess that is Battlefield 4.Dec 19, 2013 11:44 PM CST
• Two teaser trailers for Transcendence releasedTranscendence teaser trailers released, narrated by Johnny Depp and Morgan Freeman.Dec 19, 2013 8:05 PM CST
• Thecus becomes first OEM to offer RAID 50 and RAID 60Thecus now offering RAID 50 and RAID 60 devices.Dec 19, 2013 2:55 PM CST
• Researchers indicate MacBook webcams can be compromisedA troubling exploit allows users to active a computer's camera without the webcam light ever turning on, following several high-profile incidents of.Dec 19, 2013 12:30 PM CST
• DataON Cluster-in-a-Box earns certification for Windows Server 2012R2DataON certifies thier Cluster-in-aBox solution with Windows Server 2012 R2.Dec 19, 2013 9:57 AM CST
• iFixit tears down the first Steam Machine, scores 9/10 repairibilityiFixit opens up a Steam Machine from Valve to see what magic makes it tick!Dec 19, 2013 9:40 AM CST
• Don't expect Microsoft CEO news until 2014Microsoft won't announce who will take over the company as CEO until 2014.Dec 19, 2013 3:17 AM CST
• Club 3D rolls out its '14Series line of video cardsVideo card maker Club 3D has introduced its '14Series of GPUs, just a few months after the company launched its '13Series of video cards.Dec 19, 2013 2:50 AM CST
• Apple TV snubbed, Time Warner Cable app out on Amazon Kindle FireThe Time Warner Cable TV app has been introduced for the popular Amazon Kindle Fire line of tablets, while Apple TV owners will have to wait.Dec 18, 2013 11:39 AM CST
• Nelson Mandela and Paul Walker feature as top Google searches in 2013Google recently listed the top 10 Web searches of 2013, following 'trending' topics that include celebrities, viral videos, and popular consumer tech.Dec 18, 2013 11:02 AM CST
• Lulzbot launches the next generation in 3D Printing, meet the TAZ 3.0Lulzbot launches the next-generation of its TAZ 3D Printer.Dec 18, 2013 9:00 AM CST
• Latest Oculus Rift prototype has a latency of just 10-20msThe latest prototype of the Oculus Rift has much lower latency, CEO talks about the future of VR.Dec 18, 2013 4:37 AM CST
• Google Glass updated, includes proper Hangouts support and moreGoogle updates Glass Explorers to XE12, includes a slew of updates.Dec 18, 2013 3:35 AM CST
• Drobo launches the new DroboApp platform to help with 3rd party appsDrobo launches a new app platform to help with third party app discovery and installation.Dec 17, 2013 9:30 PM CST
• Microsoft's Surface 2, Surface Pro 2 tablets are 'extremely popular'Microsoft is having a much better time with its new Surface line, selling out in some places.Dec 17, 2013 8:35 PM CST
• Coby Electronics 32-inch HDTVs recalled after fire riskA new recall from a now shuttered company will be left to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to sort through the mess and help consum.Dec 17, 2013 7:09 PM CST
• Google, or Skynet? Google acquires robot maker Boston DynamicsGoogle acquires robot maker Boston Dynamics, now we just have to work out why.Dec 17, 2013 6:12 PM CST
• Lian Li Unveils the PC-V358 M-ATX Flip-Open PC ChassisLian Li's new PC Chassis flips open for easy access to components.Dec 17, 2013 2:00 PM CST
• VIA files suit against Asustek over alleged misuse of trade secretsVIA files lawsuit against Asustek and one of its subsidiaries over USB IP misappropriations.Dec 17, 2013 11:03 AM CST
• Avatar sequels to be filmed in New Zealand, $500 million+ to be spentJames Cameron will be spending $460 million on the Avatar sequels, which will be filmed in New Zealand.Dec 17, 2013 1:37 AM CST
• ASUS PadFone X spotted in AnTuTu benchmarkASUS teases the world with its PadFone X, features Snapdragon 800, Android 4.4 KitKat and more.Dec 17, 2013 12:51 AM CST
• Bungbungame Project S high-end smartphone, just $299$299 for a smartphone with an 8-core processor, 3GB of RAM and high-res screen? Bungbungame's Project S is your answer.Dec 17, 2013 12:35 AM CST
• McLaren to use force field of sound waves, replaces windshield wipersMcLaren to go next-gen with its windshield wipers, will replace them with a force field of sound waves.Dec 16, 2013 11:39 PM CST
• Yet another Battlefield 4 patch, fixing and breaking things as usualAnother near-1GB patch for Battlefield 4 continues the sea of issues.Dec 16, 2013 11:34 PM CST
• RumorTT: Samsung's Galaxy S5 Premium to feature metal chassisMore rumors surface about Samsung's Galaxy S5 ahead of Mobile World Congress 2014.Dec 16, 2013 3:25 PM CST
• RumorTT: Apple to launch iWatch in October of 2014Apple could release its iWatch smartwatch in October of 2014 alongside the iPhone 6.Dec 16, 2013 10:30 AM CST
• No, Apple has not installed Bitcoin mining software into its devicesNew quickly spreading rumor about Bitcoin mining is causing Apple users to brick their Mac devices.Dec 16, 2013 9:00 AM CST
• Avago Technologies announces LSI acquistion for $6.6 BillionAvago Technolgies and Silver Lake plunk down $6.6 Billion for the purchase of LSI.Dec 16, 2013 8:33 AM CST
• Everspin and Buffalo lead the way with new ST-MRAM technologyEverspin Technologies and Buffalo Memory pave the way with new SSD featuring MRAM cache.Dec 16, 2013 7:11 AM CST
• Oculus secures $75 million more in funding, new Rift on the wayOculus VR receives $75 million more in funding, teases a new Rift headset for CES 2014.Dec 13, 2013 10:29 PM CST
• Nintendo sends Ganon Statue to Video Game Pirate it previously suedJames Burt, an Australian who was sued by Nintendo for pirating games has received a Ganon statue as a peace offering from the gaming giant.Dec 13, 2013 10:20 AM CST
• UK Court of Appeals suspends ban on HTC One MiniInjunction banning sales of HTC One Mini in the UK has been lifted temporarily by Court of Appeals.Dec 13, 2013 10:00 AM CST
• OCZ unveils its fastest and largest enterprise SATA III SSD to dateOCZ launches its latest enterprise SSD lineup, said to be the company's fastest ever.Dec 13, 2013 9:00 AM CST
• Instagram unveils new Instagram Direct for private photo sharingInstagram launches Instagram Direct, a new feature that lets you select which friends you share images with, and send them via text messaging.Dec 12, 2013 10:19 AM CST
• CliffyB wants to make a first-person arena shooter for PCEx-Epic Games' CliffyB wants to make a new first-person arena shooter for... the PC!Dec 12, 2013 2:37 AM CST
• DICE releases new patch for Battlefield 4, fixes major issuesBattlefield 4 gets a major update, fixes some of the biggest issues.Dec 11, 2013 10:19 PM CST
• Promise Technology begins shipping Pegasus 2 Thunderbolt 2 systemsPromise Technology begins shipping its Pegasus 2 Thunderbolt 2 storage solutions to the US Market.Dec 11, 2013 7:42 PM CST
• Valve to launch SteamOS this Friday, December 13thValve set to begin shipping prototype Steam Machines this Friday, will soft launch SteamOS to the public at the same time.Dec 11, 2013 4:23 PM CST
• Bethesda announces launch dates for Elder Scrolls OnlineElder Scrolls Online set to arrive on PC and Mac on April 4th, 2014, next-gen consoles later in June.Dec 11, 2013 10:55 AM CST
• Galaxy S4 catches fire, Nokia offers the guy a free Lumia smartphoneNokia trolls Samsung by offering the guy who saw his Galaxy S4 catch fire, a free Lumia smartphone.Dec 11, 2013 2:34 AM CST
• ASUS PadFone Mini gets the hands-on treatment in TaiwanMobile Geeks gets their hands on the new ASUS PadFone Mini smartphone.Dec 11, 2013 1:58 AM CST
• John Carmack: previous-gen consoles are 'far from tapped out'John Carmack talks about hardware upgrades, says that the previous-gen consoles still have plenty of performance left in them.Dec 11, 2013 1:39 AM CST
• Autodesk is working with Oculus Rift, Autodesk and VR? InterestingAutodesk working with Oculus Rift on manufacturing, medical, military, architecture and real estate development - VR goodness!Dec 10, 2013 11:04 PM CST
• Plex and 10 more apps finally make their way to Google ChromecastPlex App, Vevo, Red Bull.TV, Revision 3 and more make their way to Chromecast.Dec 10, 2013 12:41 PM CST
• ThePirateBay.sx is dead. Long live ThePirateBay.acThe Pirate Bay has been forced to change its domain name yet again.Dec 10, 2013 9:23 AM CST
• Samsung adds RAPID mode to its existing 840 Pro SSDsSamsung 840 Pro gets RAPID technology and Samsung Magician 4.3.Dec 9, 2013 1:40 PM CST
• Samsung unveils industry's first 1TB mSATA SSDSamsung becomes the first SSD manufacturer to break the 1TB threshold for mSATA SSDs with its new EVO 840 mSATA.Dec 9, 2013 9:03 AM CST
• Bitcoin price stumbles down nearly 30% over the weekendBitcoin stumbles, heavily, after China rejects the digital currency.Dec 8, 2013 11:11 PM CST
• Thief reboot will look better on the PC, winks at next-gen consolesThief is going to excel on the PC, has 'numerous improvements' to the next-gen consoles.Dec 8, 2013 9:31 PM CST
• Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition headed to next-gen consolesTomb Raider is being "re-built specifically" for next-gen consoles, will be released in 2014.Dec 8, 2013 4:37 AM CST
• Samsung teases 'Just for you' video, is this the Galaxy S5?Did Samsung just tease the Galaxy S5 smartphone in its latest 'Just for you' video?Dec 7, 2013 11:31 PM CST
• Play.com owner says Wii U will outsell the Xbox One, PS4 over XMASRetailer predicts that the Nintendo Wii U will outsell the Xbox One and PS4 over the Christmas period.Dec 7, 2013 9:08 PM CST
• New Terminator TV series is coming, will compliment the movie rebootThe Terminator reboot is going to be accompanied by a new TV series.Dec 6, 2013 10:31 PM CST
• RumorTT: DICE won't be developing the next Battlefield gameRumorTT: Visceral Games, the developer known for Dead Space, is working on the next Battlefield game.Dec 6, 2013 7:02 PM CST
• Google's half-billion-dollar Moto X marketing hasn't helpedThe $500 million that Google slapped down for the marketing on its Moto X smartphone hasn't helped much.Dec 6, 2013 5:35 AM CST
• Samsung launches a vessel that is 12x the size of the TitanicSamsung launches the Prelude, a vessel that will be used for offshore gas extraction.Dec 6, 2013 3:27 AM CST
• Some Apple users denied entry into App Store due to Fatal ErrorApple users are being locked out of iTunes, the App Store and the iBookstore due to an authentication error.Dec 5, 2013 7:25 PM CST
• Never have a crooked horizon in your photos again with OhSoh ELiOhSoh Eli will help you have nice and level photos every time!Dec 5, 2013 4:41 PM CST
• US House of Representatives pass anti-patent troll billUS House of Representatives pass the Innovation Act 325-91, one step closer to an end on patent trolling.Dec 5, 2013 2:50 PM CST
• Microsoft stock falls after news that Mulally will not be next CEOFord board member says that Alan Mulally is sticking around, and not heading to Microsoft.Dec 5, 2013 12:44 PM CST
• MSI unveils the worlds first 3K gaming laptop and workstationMSI launches two new laptops with 3K displays, the GT60 Gaming Notebook, and the GT60 Workstation.Dec 5, 2013 11:02 AM CST
• EA halts BF4 DLC roll out, wants to get the game working firstBattlefield 4 is a jumbled mess across multiple platforms right now, so EA stops work on DLC for now.Dec 4, 2013 11:30 PM CST
• Valve officially joins the Linux Foundation to further push gamingValve proves its commitment to Linux by joining the Linux Foundation.Dec 4, 2013 9:25 PM CST
• LeakedTT: Intel's 2014 SSD lineup appears in leaked slidesIntel's 2014 SSD lineup gets outed in newly leaked slides.Dec 4, 2013 2:21 PM CST
• Guardian editor threatened with terrorism charges over Snowden leaksThe Guardian editor who leaked Edward Snowden's information on GCHQ gets threatened with terrorism charges.Dec 4, 2013 2:33 AM CST
• RumorTT: ASUS to unveil a dual-OS slate, runs Android 4.4 and WindowsRumorTT: ASUS preparing a dual OS tablet that runs both Android 4.4 KitKat, and Windows.Dec 4, 2013 1:31 AM CST
• DisplayPort 1.3 standard will support 8K, oh and 4K in 3DDisplayPort will support 8K... yes, 8K! It will also feature support for 4K 3D, too.Dec 3, 2013 6:31 PM CST
• Thecus begins shipping N2310 NAS in North American marketThecus releases its N2310 NAS in North America.Dec 3, 2013 6:21 PM CST
• Nokia wins patent fight, sees HTC One Mini banned from the UKNokia has won its fight against HTC over a patent dispute, UK courts have ordered all HTC One Mini sales banned in the UK.Dec 3, 2013 12:07 PM CST
• ROCCAT begins shipping its Kone Pure Color mouse in Phantom WhiteROCCAT's Kone Pure Color laser gaming mouse is nothing short of gorgeous in Phantom White.Dec 3, 2013 10:39 AM CST
• OCZ announces Chapter 11 bankruptcy asset acquisition by ToshibaOCZ signs asset acquirement agreement with Toshiba for $35 million.Dec 2, 2013 9:11 PM CST
• Microsoft's Xbox One Black Friday battle in the console warThe Xbox One dominates sales during Black Friday 2013.Dec 2, 2013 8:30 PM CST
• Motorola's Moto G arrives on Amazon for pre-order, shipping Dec 4thMotorola Moto G now available on Amazon for pre-order, shipping begins December 4th.Dec 2, 2013 7:02 PM CST
• BIOSTAR wants you to mine Bitcoins with its two new motherboardsBIOSTAR unveils two new motherboards that have been built with Bitcoin mining in mind.Dec 2, 2013 4:42 PM CST
• Comet ISON is no more, new images show that it has fizzled outComet ISON did in fact vaporize when it passed through the Sun's coronasphere.Dec 2, 2013 3:26 PM CST
• Cyber Monday has arrived and here are some of the web's best dealsCyber Monday is here and so are the online savings!Dec 2, 2013 10:34 AM CST
• The code to US nuclear launch codes, until 1977, was just 00000000Why hack, when you can just type in eight zeroes? The code to the US's secret nuclear launch code was 00000000.Dec 1, 2013 10:41 PM CST
• US Army develops a drone that looks like a birdIt's a bird, it's a drone... no wait, it's both. US Army developers super-stealthy drone that looks like a bird.Dec 1, 2013 1:29 AM CST
• Researchers use NSA tricks to see just how much data it collectsResearchers make an app called MetaPhone, which collects metadata from your device, wants to see just how much the NSA can do.Dec 1, 2013 12:21 AM CST

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