ASUS ZenWatch 3, smartwatch in the round

ASUS ZenWatch 3 is the new generation of smartwatch the Taiwanese giant: after two editions of boxy finally here is a clock from the most common shapes with a circular case with a thickness of 9.95 mm, and available in three different liveries rose gold, gunmetal and silver, with leather strap.
For all versions of a circular ring in pink gold surrounding the display and is an aesthetic element that emphasizes the character of the new smartwatch. The touchscreen display, which supports simultaneous touch of two fingers, has dimensions of 1.39 inch and is of type AMOLED, with a resolution of 400x400 pixels which therefore offer a definition of 287 pixels per inch.

ASUS ZenWatch 3 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC Wear in 2100 and through the PCU quad-core offers a 1.2 GHz of processing power, together with a storage capacity of 512MB of RAM and 4GB heart. The smartwatch also includes a 341mAh battery that together with an efficiency improvement of 25% over the previous generation is able, according to the rating, reaching up to 2 days of autonomy.

The operational autonomy of ZenWatch 3, however, is a matter to which ASUS has spared carefully, integrating into the smartwatch hypercharge technology that allows you to recharge the watch battery up to 60% in 15 minutes, thereby alleviating the need to exploit the long refills nightly. It 'also have the opportunity to take an optional additional battery pack from 200mAh.

The watch also incorporates a six-axis motion sensor and an ambient light sensor, microphone, speaker and WiFi connectivity and Bluetooth 4.1. Resistance ASUS ZenWatch 3 elements is certified to IP67 specifications: complete resistance to dust and water immersion up to 1 meter.

The new ZenWatch 3 is equipped with Android Wear operating system with many features for tracking various types of physical activity (not further detailed), with an accuracy that ASUS claims is among the best on the market. Not been disclosed information about the availability of the new ZenWatch 3 market, but it is known that the price for Europe was set at 229.00 euros.

Apple, GM time for MacOS 10:12 Sierra

The development of the new major release of the Mac OS operating system has entered in recent hours in the final phase ahead of the distribution set for September 20 next. Yesterday evening, in fact, the house of Cupertino has released the Golden Master version of MacOS 10:12 Sierra also for users who took part in the public test program. The GM version came two weeks after the seventh public beta MacOS Sierra and a day after the launch of the GM who had access developers.
As known to release Golden Master (GM) is meant to test the operating system version before the final release. The content is substantially the same, so who will install it by taking part in the test program will begin using in advance the new operating system features of the Mac before 20 September. Users are members of the public program tests can download the update to the GM version of MacOS Sierra directly from the Mac App Store.

MacOS 10:12 Sierra, as is known, continues the work of creation of synergies and interactions between the desktop and mobile platform of the house in Cupertino. eloquent signs of this are identifiable in the choice of also integrate the desktop voice assistant Siri, to allow the release of the Mac via Apple Watch, to provide for the Apple Pay in the Safari browser and features like Universal Clipboard or new iCloud functions that allow you to manage seamless content between all iDevice (Mac, but also iPhone and iPad).

There will, then, updates of some native apps - from photos to messages - the new file system APFS, optimized for SSDs with native support for cryptographic functions, as well as new features that will optimize the resources - such as Optimize storage that automatically liberates space in the storage media using the cloud, without forgetting refinement of multimedia features (eg. the picture in picture which allows you to watch the video in the window continuing to operate on the desktop).

MacOS and iOS and then travel on parallel tracks even a few days of the release of new major release. It recalls, in fact, that more and yesterday evening Apple has released the Golden Master version of iOS 10 users participating in the test program before the final version scheduled for September 13 next.

ASUS ZenBook UX390 3: high-level design and components in just 910 grams

ASUS Zenbook UX 3 390 is an ultraportable really very nice in every way. We not coincidentally take her place in the high-end market, thus presenting itself to the professional or enthusiast who need to combine other services with good portability, in this case more than good. A surprising at first glance is the design, extremely accurate in every respect, which uses the aluminum unibody construction mode. Sound familiar? Sure, but there is also to say that ultraportables do not have large margins of customization, and this ASUS model you notice looking for something that makes him recognizable and with your own style, see the gold border that runs all around the monitor regardless of the chosen finish (aluminum, gold-champagne, black).

Under the beautiful body we find the Intel Core i7-7500U processor, which belongs to the recent seventh generation Core, credited with 2 cores and 4 threads, operating frequency of 2.7GHz (3.5GHz in Turbo Mode), 4MB of cache and a maximum power consumption 15W. ASUS declares a quantity equal to 16GB DDR3 memory, which is accompanied by a high performance 512GB SSD and PCIe x4 interface 3gen (easier then expected values close to 2000MB / s in terms of peak data transfer rate).

The super-slim bezel display has a diagonal of 12.5 inches and resolution 1920x1080 pixels and a luminance of 300nit; Also of note are the microphone / headphone jack, a front HD webcam, USB 3.1 Type C, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as the ability to connect to a mini dock to expand the provision of various ports and connections.

Despite the very limited space, ASUS has integrated 4-speaker Harman Kardon, plus a special battery that provides 9 hours of battery life and allows you to recharge to 60% in just 49 minutes. fingerprint sensor compatible with Microsoft Hello technology and backlit keyboard round off the overview of this ultraportable, one of the articles on which the public has become more focused. As with all good things, there is a cost: the indicative provided by ASUS is 1999.00 Euros, with availability in November.

ASUS zenPad 3 8.0, for those who love the compact Android tablet

The recent renewal of the Android tablet made by the manufacturer taiwaense range includes two models: the zenPad 3S 10, equipped with 9.7 "display, adds the new zenPad 3 8.0 for those who prefer very compact Android tablet. The tablet is in fact with 2K screen (2048 x 1536 pixels) with a diagonal of 8 "enhanced by technology and ASUS VisualMaster Tru2Life +.

Not lacking attention to the constructive aspects: the tablet is made with an aluminum body, covered in leather in the back. A solution that makes it more pleasant handle and improves grip. The computing power is generated by SoC Snapdragon MSM8956 (Snapdragon 650) that integrates a hexa-core CPU the Adreno 510 GPU.

Like in the case of the 'big brother', the new 3S zenPad 10, ASUS has given special care to the realization of the audio industry, structured in a dual speaker. Not lack of support to the virtual 7.1 channel surround and the DTS technologies HeadPhone X and HD Premium Sound.

Complete the picture of 128GB storage, the WiF AC connectivity and Bluetooth, dual cameras and USB-C port. The battery has a capacity of 4650 mAh, which, according to the manufacturer guarantees up to 11 hours of battery life. The operating system is Android 6.0 Marshmallow, enriched with custom user interface ZenUI 3.0. Useful to point out the presence of 4G LTE phone module that makes it even more versatile product, especially for those who need to take advantage of the mobile data connection.

It shows, for completeness, the condensed statement of the technical characteristics:

Model zenPad 3 8.0 Z581KL
Procesore Qualcomm MSM8956 1.8GHz HC
operating system Android 6.0 Marshmallow
RAM: 2GB
Storage memory: 16GB expandable up to 128GB
2MP front camera
Rear 8MP camera
AC WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth 4.0, 3G-4G LTE, GPS
Interfaces: 1 microphone jack / headphone, 1 microSD slot
Audio: Dual stereo speaker
Includes: Power supply, earphones

ASUS Transformer 3 and Transformer 3 Pro: the 2-in-1 flexible

Debut on the Italian market the two tablets 2-in-1 ASUS Transformer belonging to the family, Intel-based Kaby Lake next generation. We speak of Transformer 3 and Transformer 3 Pro, products for design and technical features represent a direct substitute to the solutions of Microsoft Surface and Surface Pro.

Transformer 3 is a tablet with aluminum unibody structure, characterized by a 12.6-inch diagonal display with a resolution of 2.880x1.920 pixels and a weight of 695 grams. The combination with a cover with keyboard extends the flexibility of use, turning it into a notebook PC with which to write and interact even without the advantage of tilting touch screen interface the screen into two predefined positions depending on the position chosen for the cover. The presence of the ASUS Pen also allows you to use the Transformer 3 also to take notes through traditional text.

The heart of this product is the Intel Core i7-7Y75 processor-based architecture Kaby Lake and paired with a budget of 8 Gbytes of system memory. Local storage with the presence of SSD with capacity of up to 512 Gbytes, while the rear camera 13 megapixel and the front 5 megapixel complete multimedia functionality. The integration into the chassis of 4 speakers provides high-quality audio playback, also through surround-sound configurations.
Transformer 3 Pro is a 2-in-1 that differs from Transformer 3 model for both the hardware features for both the aesthetic solutions. The Intel Core i7-6500U processor it offers a power greater overall processing, combined with 16 Gbytes of system memory and an SSD of 512 Gbytes of capacity. Nothing changes as regards the display, which keeps the 12.6-inch diagonal with resolution of 2.880x1.920 pixels and the ratio of 3: 2 between the two sides.

In the back of the display stands out a kickstand, thanks to which you can place the screen on a flat surface at will. The cover with keyboard connects directly to the base of the screen, assuming a slight inclination that facilitates typing and makes Transformer 3 Pro tablet able to perform at their best all the typical functions of a thin notebook. Rounding out the coveer with keyboard, bundled, we also find ASUS Pen with which to use Transformer 3 Pro as a tool for taking notes as if we were faced with a pad of paper.

Both ASUS Transformer 3 that ASUS Transformer 3 Pro will be available from November to the respective price (and indicative) of 1499.00 and 1699.00 euros.

Forza Horizon 3: a demo coming September 12

Through the Microsoft Store we learn that Playground Games is planning to release a demo of Forza Horizon 3 September 12.

The trial version will have an extension of 18:34 GB and will be made available to the public starting at two in the morning, the exclusive Xbox One. Those who wish to test the Windows 10 version will therefore have to wait until the final release, scheduled for September 27.

The contents have not been confirmed, but we already know that some users will try a modified version of the Halo Warthog. The codes have been sent to some members of their own community these days and will be compatible with the demo.

Forza Horizon 3 is set in Australia, on a larger map more than double that of Forza Horizon 2. The reproduction of the places will be very faithful, the team has in fact visited the actual places in order to reproduce them in detail in the game.
Unlike the previous chapter, the player will no longer be just a participant of the Horizon Festival, but its organizer. Consequently it will be possible to customize both the events that the 350 cars available. There will also be a cooperative mode for up to four players.

How to locate the box a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 trouble-free

A little over one week Samsung is the center for the problems of their new smartphone top of the range: of course we talk about Galaxy Note 7, a model that has in some samples on the market of battery malfunctioning problems that can also lead to phenomena of its explosion.

To date there are 35 episodes that have seen one of these smartphones ignite accidentally: the US Federal Aviation urged passengers with this smartphone not to turn them on and reload them in flight. Quantas, Jetstat and Virgin Australia are airlines that have banned the use and charging of its flights. Italians users may contact the company to ask for a replacement of your terminal, with a procedure that we have indicated in this news. At this address, finally, it is explained such batteries are used in the assembly of Galaxy Note 7 and knows which specific model subject to the risk of explosion during use.

Samsung's Australian subsidiary has made available online a document that explains the problem and explains the process of replacing its terminal another free from defects. very interesting information are those that relate to the quick and safe location of new terminals for which the potential problem of battery explosion has been corrected.

In the product package are implemented two distinctive signs: a small black square in correspondence of the identification code, along with a small blue color adhesive which integrates a letter S. These elements allow, if present, to proceed with serenity purchase of Notes 7 without having to worry that they possess one of the potentially risky patterns.

Facebook censorship an iconic picture of war

A photo that needs no comments that reported in the opening. An icon symbol of the war in Vietnam, taken by Associated Press photographer Nick Ut, June 8, 1972 at the village of Trang Bang, South Vietnam. Phan Thi Kim Phuc, the girl who runs, senz'abiti , crying, away from the village bombed with napalm, it has become the symbol of the atrocities and war (of all wars). Shooting, now entered the history of photography and whose iconographic value is officially recognized, is back in the spotlight in recent hours following the decision of Facebook managers to censor the post that contained it, published by Norwegian writer Tom Egeland and entitled 'Seven photographers who changed the history of the war'.

Facebook has suspended the account of Egeland sparking media reactions, from Aftenposten, the leading Norwegian newspaper, which reported the story by posting on their Facebook account the same photo. This has led to a second intervention by the staff of the social network who asked to Aftenposten to remove the photo or to conceal part of the content. The motivation was the following: pictures that show people completely naked and make visible the genitals or totally naked women according to our rules must be totally removed. Censorship unconditionally extended to Erma Solberg, Norway's First Minister that, in protest, he published the same photo on Facebook, which is also removed.

Ground that, in an absolute sense, is acceptable, but that, compared to the case, as evidenced by Espen Egil Hansen, Director of Aftenposten, highlight the problem of the inability to distinguish between Facebook pornography, pedophile and a famous war photos, and an unwillingness to give free space giudizo. Before the Norwegian Minister in the uproar, accusing the managers of the popular social network to cancel our common history.

accusations which was followed by the response of a spokesman for the social network released to The Guardian:

While we recognize that this photo is iconic, it's hard to create a distinction allowing a picture of a naked child in one case and not in others. We try to find the right balance by allowing people the freedom to express themselves and maintaining a safe and respectful for our community. Our solutions are not always perfect, but we will continue to try to improve our policies and the way they are applied.

The spokesman of the response suggests that they are studying the rules and instruments to prevent the automatic and unconditional censorship of content such as the one shown. Operation that, if carried out by bots (short) smart, it could result in a form of censorship poorly digestible. Despite Facebook's cooperative attitude, by the time the controversy about choosing to censor the photo does not subside.

Avast will acquire the rival AVG for $ 1.3 billion

Avast will acquire the rival AVG for $ 1.3 billion

The giant of the security software Avast Software has acquired the company competitor AVG Technologies, paying $ 25 for each of the outstanding ordinary shares of AVG. The overall agreement is about 1.3 billion US dollars. Established in Czechoslovakia in the early 90s under the name of Grisoft, AVG has gradually grown to become one of the leading names in security for desktop and mobile systems, also offering related services such as AVG Cleaner for Android and Mac. The company's headquarters is He was later moved to Amsterdam, where he still resides.

Even the Avast origins can be traced back to Czechoslovakia, as the company was founded in the city of Prague in 1988. He has since become one of the leading brands of the computer security industry, and today boasts according to the most recent report about a fifth the entire global antivirus market. Despite being mostly known in this environment, Avast has moved recently to other categories, and in recent months has launched a new project to discover the best Wi-Fi hotspot using data obtained in crowdsourcing.

Avast said it will acquire AVG to "increase in size, technological depth, and geographic breadth," so they can "take advantage of emerging growth opportunities in the Internet security and at the same time greater organizational efficiency." The company that will be formed by the merger of the two brands will have access to 400 million endpoints, ie devices that have an Avast or AVG software installed. Access to a larger number of devices will provide more information on the malware, and then reflexively safer and more reliable products than in the past.

"We are in an industry that is changing rapidly, and this acquisition gives us the breadth and depth of technology to be the choice as a provider of security of our current and future customers," said Vincent Steckler, CEO of Avast. "By combining the strengths of two large technology companies, both founded in the Czech Republic and with a culture and a common mission, we will put in an ideal position to take advantage of new opportunities, such as the security for the tremendous growth in the Internet sector some things".

Although the acquisition has been approved by both boards of directors of the two companies , AVG is a publicly traded company, so it was not until well investor response. Avast is still confident of concluding the transaction between the months of September and October of 2016.

Fifa 17 here is how they will change the free kicks

Fifa 17 here is how they will change the free kicks

Among the areas on which it focuses more with EA Sports Fifa 17 are free kicks, especially in terms of freedom with which the player can deal with them. This new chapter of football known series switches to Frostbite Engine, and the new trailer launches also encouraging signs in this respect, with a graphic that looks very detailed and precise.

In FIFA 17 it can freely move the players around the ball. The run of the competitor may be calibrated. After the free, in addition, the camera of the abutment will remain behind the football player who has pulled, to allow to follow the trajectory of the ball. On corners and on free kicks from long range will see a pattern that will show the player where the ball will arrive. With set pieces such as those mentioned it will be possible to control any other player, move regardless of whether he received the passage, which will allow making the most varied patterns of attack when we organize kick-placed jokes .

In recent days, it was also announced that EA Sports will partner of Juventus. This will be in Fifa 17 new and updated scans the faces of star players like Buffon, Pogba, Dybala, and Chiellini, and play in a very detailed Juventus Stadium. In addition, EA Sports will allow fans to choose the sample to be put on the cover.

Facebook Messenger: secret conversations encryption and end-to-end inbound

Facebook Messenger: secret conversations encryption and end-to-end inbound

To date, the most effective technology to protect online conversations from prying eyes is the end-to-end encryption. The company Zuckerberg explains it this way: "It means that the messages are intended only for you and the other person and no one else, including us. In a secret conversation, You can also set a timer to control the time during which each message is displayed in the conversation. "

Facebook's technology uses the Signal Protocol Open Whisper Systems, the same on which the cryptographic protection system used by WhatsApp, application - remember him - still belongs to Facebook. Unlike the approach used on WhatsApp, not all conversations made using your Facebook Messenger will be protected by encryption, end-to-end. Start a secret conversation with someone will optional, will be the user to set it as "secret."

The reason is simple: unlike WhatsApp, which is used only on a single device, Messenger can be used on smartphones, tablets, and personal computers. The secret conversations can only be read on one device and it is for this that the approach on the two applications is so different. In secret conversations is also not expected (at least temporarily) support for advanced content such as GIF or video, it is not possible to make payments or use other typical features of the service.

At the time of writing the secret conversations are available on a limited test basis, but a complete roll-out will be started later this summer. During the test, the company will collect feedback on the functionality from users, by measuring performance and introducing tools to help flag content.

Google acquires Moodstocks for image recognition

Google in recent days announced that it has entered an acquisition agreement with Moodstocks, a company that operates in image recognition. It is a French startup founded in 2009 and which introduced a recognition image solution in 2012 enabling the smartphone to recognize anything captured by the camera.

Over the past two and a half years, a small group of researchers and engineers has used the techniques and the deep learning technologies to expand recognition algorithms of objects, providing licensed executable code and offering a software development kit OEMs interested in integrating the solution into their products. The Moodstocks API allow integrating a visual search functionality in applications, with the analysis of the images to find correspondences of color, shape or texture.

The acquisition will be finalized in the coming weeks, but the economic value of the transaction is confidential information. The group of researchers and engineers Moodstocks will be integrated within the research and development of Google in Paris and will contribute to Google's activities in artificial intelligence focusing on developing solutions and tools to recognize images to ' inside the big G.

Moodstocks said that following the acquisition will suspend all image recognition services under the brand Moodstocks, but that all the existing customers can use the tools until the license expires.

Google Official Home, one device to tame all household gadgets

During the Google I / O that was held in the evening of May 18 Google has announced a new device designed for home. An alternative to Amazon Echo, already heralded by rumor, named Google Home. To have it announced Mario Queiroz, the manager of the entire project as well as the man behind the Chromecast. Home is essentially the next step of the Mountain View giant within the Smart Home, a hub for all devices in the home.

Esthetically Google Home is a simple and basic product with a customizable base and able to disappear into the domestic furniture. Inside is a small speaker with long-range microphone that plugs into the electrical outlet and that is always listening. Google Home will listen to your questions, will execute your commands, play music and control all compatible household gadgets. In short, it will assist in the tasks of everyday life.

Google Home is not portable but it is an advantage, at least according to the designers who created it. The fact of always being complex makes it more powerful and versatile, without those typical battery supply limits. The product is designed to be inserted inside a so users can install more than one at home can set-up multi-room, to communicate among themselves, and among all the smart compatible devices through the Google Cast standard .

The small hub can be connected to a TV with Chromecasts for example, and through the voice commands we can launch videos on YouTube or execute other commands. Can be connected in the same way to a stereo, with which we could play, always with the voice, music from Google Play Music, Spotify, and other compatible software with the Google Cast standard. Home Google does not currently support multiple accounts , features that will be in the future.

The device can also respond to conversational type questions, with answers designed to be quick and simple. You can also book a restaurant or places to film, and make it simple passages of everyday life. At the time of writing we are missing unfortunately the open API for developers with which to increase the number of features. Apparently Google wants to focus for now on the improvement of quality of natural dialogue, and not on features.

Google Home will then work with a limited number of products, such as some models of lights and smart thermostats, and will do all that allows Google Now (which is not cheap). As we wrote just above the device will arrive later this year, at a price not yet officially announced by the company.

Google announces Assistant, personal digital assistant

Google continues the evolution of Google Search, announcing "Google Assistant" a personal digital assistant, similar to Apple's Siri and Cortana Microsoft. The official announcement was made at the Google I / O 2016 and although the details provided at the time are still quite scarce, there is a clear desire to integrate Assistant in the whole ecosystem of the products of the Mountain View home.

Google Assistant will be present in the Android smartphone, the Android Wear smartwatch, in infotainment systems based on Android Auto and smart home systems thanks to Google Home, a device announced at the conference that comes into direct competition with the Echo device Amazon , powered by Alexa (digital assistant developed by the e-commerce giant).

Assistant will not only provide the results of research on the basis of user-used tags, but will operate proactively, or anticipating future requests based on the questions asked, and will be able to provide correct answers, taking into account the context in which they were advanced.

The user can interact with Assistant by following a structured dialogue scheme on similar models to the traditional colloquial conversation, as well as with the most advanced personal digital assistants. The Google Assistant interface is always very clean and basic, such as Google Search, but the functionality, as mentioned, will be much more advanced.

Google presents as follows the new voice assistant:

The assistant converse with you: it is a dialogue in two voices between you and Google, you see the world around you and helps you do what you need. Simplifies the purchase of movie tickets while you're on the street, is the perfect restaurant for a snack on the fly with your family before the start of the show and helps you in navigating to the cinema. It 'a Google everything for you.

The server works seamlessly on any device and in any context. So you can consult Google from anywhere and at any time. All this is possible thanks to the investments made by Google in recent years to understand in depth the questions asked by users. Today we showed a preview of two products in which you can enjoy all the features Google server.

The service provided by Google Assistant can be used both in "stand-alone" mode is integrated into the app. On the Google I / O stage I was presented Allo, an app that ricorrre Google Assistant to manage the messaging features.

Homefront The Revolution debut

Homefront The Revolution is available for purchase from this week in PC formats, PS4 and Xbox One. The game is developed by Dambuster Studios on CryEngine platform and distributed by Deep Silver and Kochmedia.

Which promise 30-hour experience, supplemented by three expansions that will arrive in the course of 2016. This is The Voice of Freedom and Aftermath, which will add two new districts for the single-player mode. Expansion wider - Beyond the Walls - will follow in 2017. The cooperative experience Homefront, however, will come through "Resistance Mode" which will be launched with 6 missions, and new ones will be added in June. All of Resistance Mode missions are free and Dambuster Studios is committed to providing the highest quality for the new content and new aggiornamneti without adding extra costs.

Homefront The Revolution is a first-person shooter on open world, with a Philadelphia will host an asymmetrical battlefield. The forces of the KPA (Korean People's Army), in fact, control most of the territory, while the American rebels will face the invasion with the few resources that remained available.

To break free from the oppressors, in fact, players must embark on a guerrilla and plan ambushes, raids, attacks and tactical retreats in unpredictable firefights. At every turn are a city in which to expand: the recruitment of revolutionary comrades and the construction of improvised makeshift weapons are just two of the keys to success for the creation of a powerful force of resistance.

BitTorrent new live streaming platform peer-to-peer

BitTorrent is working on a live-streaming technology for years now, but only today has unveiled the first multi-platform dedicated application. Live BitTorrent is essentially a broadcasting platform that will be launched on AppleTV by the end of the week and will arrive on iOS and Android in the month of June. Inside the app there will be some minor channels, but the company has promised that additional content will be coming soon, and also premium paid.

The first channels available on the platform will not be very prestigious, but will try to cover different needs: we will be boxing channel and MMA (Fightbox), of auteur cinema (Filmbox Arthouse), for lovers of nightclubs (Clubbing TV), and also the channel "dedicated to bringing viewers on a journey that explains how to get wealth, use it and enjoy it" (AWE). But the important part of Live BitTorrent is certainly not related to content, as to the technology used.

The live video will indeed be spread in the same way it handles download via the BitTorrent protocol. The technology behind the app it turns every spectator in "broadcasters", allowing him not only to take advantage of the content but also to use their own access to exchange parts of the audio-video stream to other users. The company claims that this approach will solve fully the typical lag of live video, but not only.

An approach of this type adds a great deal of efficiency in the content distribution process: it will be possible to send a live video with a latency of less than 10 seconds to a very wide audience, without at the same time exploit an expensive CDN (Content Delivery Network), or to specific networks that control the distribution of live content to users.

"No one is able to handle 10 million simultaneous streams, and no one comes close. You should rent or buy any CDN in the United States," said Bob Bowman, of MLB.com manager, during an interview with Walt Mossberg. And these words are referenced by the team behind BitTorrent Live to explain their technology: "We have reached two million Maximum share in terms of concurrent users," continues Bowman during the interview.

Technologies such as 5G could help solve the problem, however, to build the infrastructure to support the new connectivity will take years, if BitTorrent offers you even now as a possible solution through its extremely tested protocol. Unlike the direct-based CDN, also, the organizers will not have to worry about the size of the audience, as the BitTorrent networks could only benefit from a large possible number of viewers.

"Current methods for the live online broadcasting of internet climb linearly with the size of the audience - that means you have to pay more if the stream will add more viewers," he said last year the company. "The online streaming in peer-to-peer back to the old traditional TV model, where there are no additional costs in case of an increase in audience size".

The technology is very promising on paper in terms of technology, however, is still unable to find traction in the market. We doubt that the new app will be of particular interest to the public at present, and, unlike using a protocol for downloading files which is known mainly because it used to distribute illegal, we doubt even materials that might attract the attention of broadcasters major television in the States.

Yet, if the BitTorrent technology that was so economical and practical as promised would all it takes to find a place to the base of the live-streaming of the future.

Amazon to work on Knight, devices for smart home with Alexa

Amazon is committed to expand the range of devices equipped with personal digital assistant Alexa. It suggests the influential The Wall Street Journal, referring to "Knight", code name that identifies the new device equipped with Alexa and equipped with a display similar in size to those of the tablet screens. the possibility is not confirmed to control the device via touch interface, but it's pretty clear the intended use, or integration into a smart home system.

The source describes as follows Knight suggesting the usage scenario:

... It is designed to allow users to call up web pages, view videos and images, when their hands are covered with flour ...

References that suggest the integration of the device in a kitchen and interaction using voice commands given to Alexa. The new The Wall Street Journal reports adds a few details about the technical characteristics of the device, but warns against isolation examined the product, which is part of a more complex project with which Amazon is willing to make more widespread use of its voice assistant.

To achieve this, the e-commerce giant will continue to produce in the first devices powered by Alexa, like the above mentioned Knight, but, according to when the source said, is considering releasing more and more Alexa from his device. A modus operandi similar to that used, for example, by Microsoft with Cortana (also available on Android and iOS) and Google's smartphone, which has made available the search functions on all Android devices.

The Knight would become an additional element in a smart home environment that can already count several devices that support Alexa, both those produced in the first person from Amazon and those of third parties. It is recalled in the first place, the speaker Amzon Echo, but there are also products of other companies: the 'smart' doorbell Bot Home, to get to Web-connected toys ToyMail that answer the questions using Alexa.

Lack of more precise details on the availability of the new representative of Alexa devices powered by Amazon, which would be added the Echo, the Echo Tap and Dot already on the market. A new device designed for use in the kitchen is a likely scenario, assuming that Amazon intends to convey its voice assistant leveraging an ecosystem increasingly articulated smart home products.

IBM breakthroughs with PCM memories

IBM has for several years to work on phase change memory (PCM), and, in recent hours, has provided an important update on the progress of the search. Such non-volatile type memory offers considerable advantages both with respect to the flash memories, both with respect to the RAM modules: are the fastest of the first, very resistant and, as mentioned, are of non-volatile type, so do not lose the data stored in the absence of power supply, as is the case with the RAM memory. Limitations related to the technology used caused them so far use in a production environment, but something is moving, as emphasized by IBM researchers.

The PCM memories exploit the physical properties of a calcogenura alloy (formed by Germanium, Antimony, and Tellurium), similar to that used in the rewritable optical discs. The alloy, crossed by a determined change of phase current intensity, passing from the crystalline to the amorphous, according to a reversible process. The crystalline phase (state with low electrical resistance), corresponds to the logic state 1, while the amorphous phase (state with high electrical resistance) corresponds to logic state 0, this allows to create, in fact, a true solid state memory which offers the advantages described in the opening. Until now, however, the main limitations were related to the limited capacity and the high costs.

The novelty communicated in the last hours by IBM concerns the development of new technologies that have the 3-bit storage made possible for PCM cell, an extremely important goal, taking into account that, previously, the upper limit was equal to 1 bit. As emphasized Haris Pozidis IBM Research:

Achieve 3-bit per cell represents a significant milestone because at this density the cost of the PCM memories will be significantly lower than that of DRAM and closer to the cost of flash memory.

The scenarios of use that appear on the horizon are particularly interesting: IBM promises, for example, the hypothesis of the realization of hybrid-type storage solutions in which the PCM modules operate in symbiosis with the conventional flash memory to perform the memory function smartphone cache. The IBM researchers point out in this regard:

The operating system of a smartphone could be stored in the PCM module, enabling the launch of the smartphone in seconds

The PCM memory, may act as substitutes for the SSD in work areas that require significant data reading speed: PCM modules can read the data stored in less than 1 microsecond, while SSDs do not fall below 70 microseconds.

In whole the enterprise database may be stored in the PC memory making it extremely fast query processing for time-critical online applications, such as financial transactions

RAM memories are even faster, but in certain contexts the PCM modules may be used as a storage solution "universal" capable of replacing both the RAM, both the flash memory, not to mention the cloud-based applications of artificial intelligence, and the use in data centers. In addition to the higher speed of the flash memory, in fact, the PCM modules can boast a longer life: 10 million write cycles to the phase change memories, compared with about 3000 of flash memory cycles. The progress made managing to store 3-bit per cell are objectively important, but at the moment, we do not know when will the PCM modules will be used in a commercial product.

Apple opened in Bangalore a new design center to iOS developers

Apple is showing some attention to the Orient of the world: after you invest a billion dollars in Chinese society Didi Chuxing (followed by a short trip to China by Tim Cook), it is the turn of India with ' announcement of the opening of a new center "Design and Development Accelerator" for iOS in Bangalore.

India is a particularly important market for Apple, which are hidden some important growth opportunities. Bangalore is considered the main center of the country by the concentration of startups, with over a million people who work in the technology sector.

"India is home to one of the iOS development community's most vibrant and entrepreneurial in the world. With the opening of this new center in Bangalore are giving developers the access to the tools with which we will help them create innovative apps for customers around the world, "said Tim Cook said in a statement.

Apple is also planning to open a development center in Hyderabad which will focus on the development of the service maps. In this regard the Apple announced earlier this year an investment of $ 25 million in its Hyderabad property can accommodate a workforce of 4500 people.

In recent days it has also circulated the rumor that Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai will see the opening of the first three Apple Store in the Indian territory by the end of 2017, suggesting that Apple is paying close attention to this market.

Moto Z will replace the brand Moto X in future top range Motorola | Rumor

Motorola would be ready to change the brand that identifies its high-end smartphones, starting with the new models, whose arrival is expected during the year. The brand Moto X, used for three years from the Lenovo subsidiary, will be replaced with the brand Moto Z. The news has not yet considered official, but is distributed from a source often well informed of the furniture industry events, namely Evan Blass, who provided interesting details in an article published in Venture Beat. The reference to the name Moto Z would be already in the marketing material prepared for the arrival of new models.

Nothing new '' substantial '' but a renewal that Motorola / Lenovo may implement following the example of other known companies operating in the sector and who have chosen to change the nomeclatura of its top range; citing, for example, HTC, which removed the reference to the historic "One" line with 10 HTC and Sony with the recent line X that took place from the line Z.

The first models sold under the new brand Moto Z will be smartphones currently identified with the name of Vertex code and Vector Thin, both equipped with display from 5.5 ". Motorola could decide to reuse part of the nomenclature of the previous top range alongside the letter "Z" the words "Style" and "Play" and creating, in this way, the sub-categories in the larger grouping the high-end models: for example, Z Moto Style.

The change in nomenclature will extend to the versions of the new top range marketed US telephone operator Verizon, historically identified by the Droid brand. Specifically, there will no longer versions Turbo Droid and Droid Maxx, replaced by a generic brand "Droid Edition" associated to the new names: for example, Z Play Moto Droid Edition. Finally, the modules attachable to the back of the smartphone - including, among others, those with pico-projector, battery pack and grip for the camera, as recently emerged - will be identified with MotoMods brand.

Confirmation of the rumors above, and more substantive and less formal nature novelty will probably emerge 9 June next at the Lenovo Tech World San Francisco.

The virus also may have flaws and vulnerabilities: it's time for Symantec

The security researcher Tavis Ormandy, who works for the Project Zero team of Google in order to find security holes and vulnerabilities in the systems, found that the Symantec Antivirus Engine is vulnerable to external attacks while parsing header files PE (portable -executable) in an incorrect format. In these cases there may be a buffer overflow resulting in a system crash. It is not the first time that a bug is discovered in an anti-virus system, but not often that these vulnerabilities are active on all platforms as a last case discovered by Ormandy.

"These malformed PE file can be received incoming, download documents or applications by e-mail or by visiting a malicious website," wrote the researcher describing the newly discovered flaw in the Symantec system. "No user interaction is required to launch the analysis of the invalid file. On Windows, this results in the corruption of kernel memory as the engine that deals with the scan is loaded into the kernel. In this way, vulnerability becomes remote type ring0 memory corruption ".

For other operating systems, like Linux, OS X and other Unix-based software, the exploit it is manifested as a remote heap overflow as the root user in the Symantec or Norton process. According to noted Symantec Vulnerability, "the most common result of an attack carried out with success" might be a system crash or BSOD, the infamous blue screen of death. However all'exploit give life does not even require the 'user interaction, such as Ormandy has reported: "Since Symantec uses a driver to intercept all the I / O system, simply send a file to a victim or send link to exploit the bug. "

The positive part is that Symantec has already circulated on Monday a fix for its products, saying that anyone who uses LiveUpdate should already have received and installed the patch. To be affected by the vulnerability were the following software on all available platforms: Symantec Endpoint Antivirus, Norton Antivirus, Symantec Scan Engine Symantec Email Security. It is not the first time you found a bug on a virus, with the Project Zero who has in the past slapped other famous brands in the industry, such as Kaspersky, Avast, FireEye, AVG and Malwarebytes.

Asus ZenFone 3, 3 Deluxe and ZenFone ZenFone 3 Max shown in a first video teaser

A few weeks after the event Zenvolution, expected next May 30, Asus began to spread online the first teaser on the devices that will be the protagonists. Among them there will be many chances with new smartphones of the popular ZenFone series, which comes to the third iteration. To confirm it is the same Asus within 34 seconds of the first teaser video where you see three different smartphones, probably ZenFone 3, ZenFone ZenFone 3 Deluxe and 3 Max.

On the basis of a few instants in which are shown, the first two will have dimensions and design rather similar, where it will be the Max model to present noteworthy differences especially as regards the size of the device. In the video you read the words "Clarity", "Desire" and "Unlimited", but above you can see the features of three smartphones that look much more carefully in terms of design than the currently proposed solutions on the market.

According to some recent revelations of the CEO of the company, the three smartphones will hit stores next month of June with the expectation that it will be ZenFone Max the most requested by the public. Asus provides that deliveries of the larger model will be about two-thirds of the entire family deliveries. It will also change the hardware side strategy, with Intel processors that will be abandoned in favor of Qualcomm solutions (90%) and MediaTek (10%).

VicoVE: the system for the virtual reality viewer for smartphones and sensor type Kinect

Virtual reality is one of the hot topics of this in 2016, but to be able to get to an experience that is really closer to the real technology needs to take some steps forward. Systems like HTC Lives require you to wear a visor connected by a bundle of cables to a PC and use two sticks to hold in hand to interact with the virtual environment.

Free yourself from wires and have more natural interface, not mediated by objects to hold, could be the first two steps for a more immersive experience. It is one that aims VicoVR, recently crowdfunding on Indiegogo, a system composed of a viewer for smartphones and a detection unit of the movement in Kinect style. Compatible with apps and games for Android and iOS smartphones and 4 to 6 inches diagonally promises more immersive gaming experience, similar to that obtained with a system like Vive.

They have already been developed by 3DiVi applications for the optimization of the features, but the presence of a free SDK should also facilitate the arrival of third-party apps. VicoVR also can interface with systems such as Android TV, Apple TV, Android Game Console, or used with Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard and apps designed for them. The system is able to recognize joints 19 on the body of two people simultaneously, thus enabling the simultaneous presence of two players in games in which they are provided. It also offers tracking the position of the head, one of the main features of HTC Lives and Oculus, but in this case wirelessly.

The system is certainly interesting and the price of $ 349 USD, with packages in exchange for donation of Indiegogo that start at $ 219, with the display, motion sensor and remote controller. Of course you have to be in possession of a smartphone to be included in the viewer: in this case the display resolution is vital and will also be the graphics power to handle smoothly the contents, worth a bad representation of virtual reality.

Nokia back in the mobile market: licensing agreement with Global HDMI

On the day of Microsoft today confirmed the sale of the production and sale of smartphones in FIH Global Mobile and HDM. But the press release issued by the Redmond describes only half of the story that has some even more interesting contours. If FIH Mobile is a subsidiary of Foxconn, little has been said so far HDM Global, a Finnish company formed in 2015 that once again back in the spotlight with an important announcement to that seen tied to Nokia.

The Finnish home and HDM Global have formalized a licensing agreement under which Nokia Technology (division of Nokia that deals with the development and management of intellectual property) will allow HDM Global, to borrow the wording of the press release: "create a new generation mobile phone and tablet Nokia brand." The term "mobile phone" means literally "mobile phone" or simply "cell" and the reference in the technical sense is to feature phones, partly because, according to the agreements signed with Microsoft, the brand Nokia can not be affixed on smartphones until the end of 2016. But the reality of the agreement is broader ...

HDM Global is in fact more explicit in announcing the content of the agreement, by titrating in the press release: "HDM Global is founded to create a new generation of smartphones, feature phones, and Nokia-branded tablet." HDM Global will continue to market feature phones to Nokia brand, following the acquisition of the asset by Microsoft, in addition, expressly adds, a new range of smartphones and tablets, using the resources provided by Nokia (licenses, technologies, know-how) . The official press release makes clear that Nokia and HDM Global, to achieve the purpose, will work with FIH Mobile which, remember, will finalize the acquisition of the production structure of Microsoft Mobile Vietnam in the second half of 2016.

In essence, it is a business model similar to the one triggered by Nokia in collaboration with Foxconn for the production of the tablet N1: Nokia will provide know-how, licenses and brand, while HDM and FIH Global Mobile will handle the production, marketing and sales of feature phones, smartphones and tablets (FIH will likely have an active part in production).

What products it will be and what will be the operating system? HDM Global is expressed with clarity as of now:

HDM provides for its future smartphones and tablets branded Nokia Android OS

There were cyclical rumor about the possible return to the market of smartphones branded Nokia equipped with the Android operating system and such explicit confirmation by HDM Global supports them without mistakes.

What's more, examining who will form the HDM Global Summits, it may be convinced that the creation of the company has been the instrument chosen by Nokia to return in the mobile sector without exposing themselves in the first person. The new CEO will Arto Nummela, former Nokia executive and current head of Microsoft's Mobile Devices division for the area Asia, Middle East and Africa and responsible global business feature Microsoft phone. The President will be Florian Seiche, currently senior vice president of Microsoft Mobile for sales and marketing in Europe and former head Nokia, HTC.

One of the five members of the HDM Global board of directors will also be a representative of Nokia, the headquarters of HDM Global is located in Helsinki (Finland), and the HDM properties is due to Smart Connect LP, a private equity fund managed by Jean-Francois Baril, also a former leader Nokia. Undeniable is the strong link between the new company and the "old" Nokia so much that we could speak of an entity formally distinct, but essentially very close to the Finnish home.

As for the timing of arrival on the market of new products created by the new trilateral pact between Nokia, HDM Global and FIH, the companies involved have not expressed. To complete the transition of the Microsoft feature phone division to FIH and HDM Global you will need to wait until the second half of 2016, while the prohibition on marketing Nokia-branded smartphone - resulting from the Agreements between Nokia and Microsoft - will end at the end of 2016.

Microsoft: stop the feature phone, assets sold to FIH Mobile and HDM Global

Microsoft has confirmed the sale of the activities related to the production and sale of feature phones to FIH Mobile, subsidiary of Foxconn, and HDM Global for $ 350 million. The formalization of the news comes after the dissemination of the first rumors about it took place earlier this week.

Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft acquires FIH Mobile Mobile Vietnam, or the structure of the Redmond home located in Vietnam and engaged in the production of feature phones. Approximately 4,500 employees will be transferred to Microsoft Mobile Vietnam to FIH Mobile and HDM Global, in accordance with local regulations.

Microsoft is now clear in pointing out that the decision to divest its entire assets linked to the production and sale of feature phones will have no effect on the activity of production and sales of smartphones. In this regard, the Redmond points out, Microsoft will continue to develop Windows 10 Mobile and support Lumia devices like Lumia 650, Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL and the device of OEM partners such as Acer, Alcatel, HP, Trinity and VAIO.

In the official press release does not explicitly refers to the sale of the brand "Nokia", affixed by Microsoft to feature phones, but the company implicitly confirms that this sale will take place to the extent that states:

Under the agreement, Microsoft will transfer all of its assets related to the feature phones, including brands, software and services, support services and other assets, customer contracts and the supply contracts, in compliance with local laws.

Among the brands, as mentioned, is also on the Nokia brand, which will continue to be clearly managed by the purchasing companies, limited to the feature phone industry. The finalization of the sale, subject to the usual approval process by the relevant authorities, is expected by the second half of 2016.

An assignment evidently motivated by the need to reduce costs due to a branch of activity no longer profitable for the Redmond, accomplices also the dynamics of a mobile market where feature phones are less and less space, replaced by low-cost smartphone. Microsoft had begun to carry on its activities in 2014, after the acquisition of the mobile division of Nokia and the right to use of the Finnish brand to market feature phones (not for smartphones).

For the moment, nothing changes formally into account the activities of production and sale of Windows Phone / Windows 10 Mobile Lumia line of smartphones, however, have been paused, waiting for a relaunch of which could take place significantly not before 2017 with the possible arrival of the above mentioned Surface Phone.

The Dark Souls board game has reached US $ 5 million on Kickstarter

The Kickstarter campaign launched to finance the Dark Souls board game ended with success in yesterday. The accumulated figure has gone far beyond the expectations of the creators of Steamforged, with over $ 5 million and accumulated a 7300% increase compared to the $ 70,832 originally planned.

Thanks to the collected money all additional stretch goals have been unlocked, which will allow to expand the set to include 14 types of soldiers, 10 player classes, 10 armor sets, 10 different types of invaders, 6 Summonable allies and 5 bosses, all available in the edition launch planned for next spring.

The Dark Souls board game carves out then a prominent place among the most successful campaigns in the history of Kickstarter, placing itself in line with the spiritual successor of Castlevania - titled Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - which last year obtained 5.5 million of dollars.

Although the card game draws inspiration from the whole of Dark Souls franchise, the contributions and the most significant influences will come from Dark Souls 3. Many classes, boss and armor will indeed be played along the lines of the content available in the latest effort From Software .

They go up to 4,266 MHz the Trident Z memories G.Skill

A clock frequency of 4.266 MHz certified by the producer: this is the result which came with new memories G.Skill Trident Z family DDR4 standard.

This kit is composed of two modules of 8 Gbytes of capacity each, certified to operate with CAS latency 19 to 4,266 MHz. They are part of this family also have two other kits designed to be used on more limited frequencies but with timings far more driven: the first it operates at a clock frequency of 3200 MHz with CL13 while the second clock of 3,466 MHz with latency equal to CL14.

The chips used are Samsung 8 Gbit each, while the cooling system is matched to that of the other modules of the family Trident Z: a massive plate, which is spread more of the memories of PCBs in height, with a marginal graphical characterization.

The memories from 4,266 MHz are only available in dual channel kits from 8 Gbytes of capacity per module; versions to 3.200 MHz and 3.466 MHz clock are also sold in configuration to 4 modules, the variable capacity of 8 to 16 Gbytes per module. The memories are of course compatible with Intel-based platforms Z170 chipset, combined with the XMP 2.0 technology; the supply voltage is equal to 1.35V, an upper 0,15V value than that of JEDEC for DDR4 modules.

Knockin: the sensor that makes smart all home surfaces

The interface, which is the way you interact with things, will be a crucial point in the world of the Internet of Things. It will also be surrounded by objects connected and intelligent, but if we can not communicate with them in a natural way part of their intelligence will be useless. Kickstarter has had a tremendous success Knocki, an object that in just one hour after the launch of the fundraising campaign reached its target of $ 35,000, being now already at over $ 162,000 USD.

Knocki is a small object that promises to make all surfaces of our house of the smart home control console. Once attached to a surface, Knocki fails to recognize when fingers or knuckles are beaten out of it, allowing to assign 10 sequences of functions touches such as turning off the lights, the activation of the thermostat, the ignition of the coffee machine, sending a message to those who are playing on the intercom.

Knocki is compatible with systems such as Nest, Philips Hue, WEMo, Samsung Smartthings and apps like Spotify and Gmail, but of course can also interface with a wide range of other objects when connected to Wi-Fi network, such as clocks, watches, speakers . The crowdfunding campaign offers supporters a Knocki sensor in exchange for a donation of $ 59, with planned shipments for the month of December.

Firefox used more than Internet Explorer for the first time on desktops

The latest statistics published by StatCounter related to web browsing show that the use of Mozilla Firefox is generally higher than the combined Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. Never before it has occurred this series, with the Firefox overtaking which represents a historic step on the front of the web browser. The report includes statistics on the use of the major web browsers on the market during the months of February, March and April 2016.

In this time Firefox has occupied 15.6% of the market share of web browsers on personal computers where Internet Explorer has stopped at 15.5%. Microsoft's browser is included in the list along with the new Edge, software for navigating the Windows default Internet 10. This suggests that overtaking is not due to the progressive abandonment of IE from Microsoft, as in numbers is also merged the 'adoption of software that replaces it on the new OS owner.

"As a result of Windows 10 with Microsoft Edge browser launch is likely to expect a boost in market shares on the web browsing, but this has not yet happened," commented Aodhan Cullen, CEO of StatCounter. Although the advantage of Firefox is now very tight (0.1%), the news could not be negligible for Microsoft since the Internet Explorer has suffered a substantial decline that has persisted for years.

Microsoft has unveiled Edge to get away from the name of Internet Explorer with an entirely browser revolutionized the approach, however, the new software has not yet managed to break the heart of PC users. In the coming months are full-bodied new expectations of Microsoft Edge, first of all the availability of extensions, a feature that could push more users to switch to your web browser owner allowing Microsoft to gnaw on a few slices of cake.

As for the other web browsers for the desktop, such as Opera and Safari, they have not been EVIDENTLY big changes from the latest statistical data. It must, however, specify that the analysis of the web browser market shares vary dramatically depending on the source that produces them: NetMarketShare argues that Firefox does not even come close to the shares of Internet Explorer, and the major differences are probably due to the different testing methodologies applied.

It remains in the first position Google Chrome with over 60% of the total shares of the market, almost double the two proposals most renowned competition.

iOS 9.3.2: Risky Pro 9.7 update for iPad users. Apple investigates

The update of the iOS operating system to version 9.3.2, released in recent hours from the house of Cupertino, has brought with it an annoying bug that can cause the iPad Lock Pro 9.7 being updated. Shortly after installing the update, several users have reported the emergence of '"Error 56" and the following message prompting you to connect the device to iTunes. A link that does not solve the problem, as the tablet remains in that status without the possibility to be updated or restored.

The error 56 identifies possible hardware root, according to the official document that describes the error codes. The proposed solutions from Apple to correct this type of error coincide with the installation of the latest version of iTunes (currently 12.4), checking for any problems with third-party security software that may interfere with the operation of iTunes and the attempt to restore the device. If the steps described above should not be successful, then you will need to contact Apple Support.

Apple is aware of this issue and has released in recent hours the following statement to iMore website:

We are looking at a small number of reports of an error that some iPad units are receiving during software update. Who is not able to reset the device through iTunes should contact Apple Support.

For the moment the house of Cupertino does not provide more detailed information on the possible causes and the development of a further corrective update. Apple refers to a "limited number of users", but as this is obviously a bug is not isolated, the hypothesis of a new minor update of iOS is not entirely far-fetched. It is specified, inoltlre, which reports widespread network in recent hours focus on iPad Pro 9.7, but Apple does not make distinctions between the type of iPad in the official statement, so you can not rule out that the bugs can also occur with other models.

Pending further information about it, the iPad Pro 9.7 users must be aware of the possible risks associated operating system upgrade to version 9.3.2. It is said that the bug occurs, because other users are able to update the tablet regularly, but at the same time, it can not determine in advance that the problem will not emerge after the upgrade.

Announced the date of the Sony conference at E3 2016

The conference takes place in the Sony E3 2,016 the night of Tuesday, 14 June, at the Shine Auditorium of Los Angeles. The show will as usual be seen streaming through the main reference platforms like YouTube and PlayStation Network, but will not even miss the usual coverage entrusted to major specialized networks such as GameSpot and IGN.

The line-up of titles that will be shown during the event is still top secret, but the hypothesis circulating in the network are already very different and focus on the likely announcement of PlayStation 4 NEO. There is also a certain curiosity to understand what will be the catalog of products that will accompany the launch of PlayStation VR in October.

also it should be given space to the new Destiny expansion and The Last Guardian, in hopes of receiving a date launch after seven years of waiting since the first announcement took place during E3 2009. Other hopes are pinned in Rockstar and the possible announcement of Red Redemption 2, while on the front Naughty Dog would be reasonable to expect the announcement of a second chapter of the Last of Us.

Windows 7 and 8.1: single monthly update for updates (not security)

Microsoft announced in recent hours a change in the mode of distribution of updates dedicated to Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1 operating systems (change also applies to Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2) to simplify the upgrade procedure is still popular operating systems and used by users. Specifically, all OS updates, except for those of security, will be grouped in a single update released on a monthly basis.

Security updates will continue to be released as they become available, given that the immediate installation is often essential to prevent the risks of bugs fixed. The new monthly updates can be downloaded through Windows Update, WSUS, SCCM, and the Microsoft Update Catalog. The new distribution mechanism of the updates will come into force from the current month, but the Windows 7 SP1 users can leverage as of now a new cumulative update that contains almost all the distributed updates since the release of Service Pack 1.

The package contains all security patches and other types of updates and can be optionally added to a Windows 7 SP1 to create a complete installation file. The package installation is completely optional and will not be offered through Windows Update. To proceed rollup application, however, it is required prior to installing the update KB3020369 Windows 7. After installation, the operating system will continue to receive updates according to the new mode (update not only updated with security monthly and security updates as they become available).

Microsoft, most recently, announces a further innovation on the management of updates to Windows operating systems. In a few months the updates of all versions of Windows are no longer available in the Microsoft Download Center. The security bulletins, Microsoft points out, continue to link directly updates, but the package will be contained in the Microsoft Update Catalog and not the Microsoft Download Center.

The specification nearly complete GeForce GTX 1070, to debut in a few weeks

Yesterday expired the embargo on speed performance of video cards NVIDIA GeForce 1080 GTX: find our analysis available online at this address. For the commercial debut card is set for May 27, an official list amounted to € 799.00 including VAT for the Founders Edition.

NVIDIA also prepares the debut of a second graphics card based on the GP104 Pascal GPU family: we refer to the GeForce 1070 GTX model, a proposal that will be sold starting from June 10 at a price of approximately € 520.00 tax included again for the Founders Edition. We will also custom versions developed by the partners, with retail prices that should be lower than those of the Founders Edition and presumably starting from about € 450.00 including VAT.

Change the specifications of memory, which goes into GDDR5 standard against what GDDR5X adopted by the GeForce GTX 1080. The actual clock frequency is 8 GHz, a figure higher than the actual 7 GHz GDDR5 memory combined with the GeForce GTX 900 family cards .

then GeForce 1070 GTX on the card comes with a computing power of the GPU which is lower by about 30% compared to GeForce 1080 GTX, in view of the number of CUDA cores and the clock speed boost. Slightly lower than the decrease for the memory component, that we can quantify in an approximately -20% in view of the lower bandwidth. NVIDIA claims a TDP of 150 Watts for this card, which is lower than 30 watts compared to the GeForce 1080 GTX model.

The Division: Update 1.2 coming next week

Ubisoft has confirmed that the 1.2 update of The Division, entitled Conflict, will be published next week. With this new patch will be increased up to 2000 the number of credits Phoenix players will bring. The new free mission instead present a Gear Score of 150, exactly as they did with Falcon Lost.

It will then improved the quality of the loot obtained in end-game, with a greater chance to meet top-level weapons, which will be available at the end of the game and starting from level 30. Players in the dark area exceed the 200 level are more likely to get a loot with a Gear Score between 204 and 240 and can unlock a new set of weapons that will trigger the unique bonus Hunter's Faith, Lone Star, Final Measure and Predator Mask. The weapons will be introduced instead of the Hungry Hog M60 LMG, the Centurion M1911, the semi automatic pistol, the Medved SAIG ​​A12 Shotgun and Historian M1A MMR.

Obviously with the update will be solved as well, various bugs found by the community and not yet solved with previous updates. The launch of the content is confirmed for May 24.

New Radeon driver Software Crimson Edition 16.5.2.1 with optimizations for Doom

New software update for AMD Radeon family of video cards; the new Radeon Software Crimson Edition Version 16.5.2.1 drivers implement some new specific optimizations for Doom game, thanks to the heaviest is declared a performance increase of up to 35% as a maximum with cards of the Radeon R9 390 family.

The drivers are available in 32bit and 64bit versions for Microsoft Windows 7 operating systems, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.

Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.5.2.1 Highlights

Performance Increase By Up To 35% on AMD Radeon R9 390 series products in Doom versus Radeon ™ Software Crimson Edition 16.5.2 (1)
known Issues

A few game titles may fail to launch or crash if the AMD Gaming Evolved overlay is enabled. A temporary workaround is to disable the AMD Gaming Evolved "In Game Overlay".
Users in Quad AMD Crossfire technology configurations may be Unable to re-enable AMD Crossfire mode When using the global AMD Crossfire option in the "Gaming" tab and toggling it from on to off.
The Witcher® 3: Wild Hunt inventory and character pages may exhibit flickering in AMD Crossfire technology fads.
Call of Duty ™: Advanced Warfare may exhibit stuttering When using AMD FreeSync ™ technology and AMD Crossfire technology in conjunction.
Installing Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.5.2.1 multiple times on the same machine after rebooting may cause the installer to hang.
The AMD Radeon Crossfire mode options in the Settings may not take effect on Origin or Uplay applications.
Radeon Settings Additional Settings page may not be available When upgrading to Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.5.2.1 from the current windows update driver. As a work around please clean uninstall all current Radeon Software When upgrading if your system exhibits this issue.
Some textures may exhibit flickering in Fallout ™ 4 When using AMD Crossfire technology.
Forza Motorsport 6: Apex ™ may exhibit flickering brightness When using AMD FreeSync ™ technology.
Frame Rate Target Control gaming profiles may fail to enable for some games.

Nikon: suffering from the photographic industry, fortunately there are from lithography equipment

If Nikon was just a manufacturer of cameras and lenses there would be little to be happy in the offices of the Japanese brand: financial results, in fact, they speak of sales falling again, with worse than expected results in the imaging industry. A counterbalance the fall of photographic products there are the company branches dedicated to lithographic systems for semiconductor production (in particular for panels of large dimensions) and that of precision instruments, such as microscopes and measuring instruments. The medical sector is however the worst of all, posting huge losses.

The photographic industry, partly because of unfavorable exchange rates, reported results below expectations, which had already expected a minus sign in front of sales and operating profit. The former have seen a reduction of 11% over the previous year, while profit has had an even greater contraction of 19%. The lithography for semiconductor products rose 7% in terms of sales volumes, marking a + 75% to the operating profit item: it is a result below expectations with regard to sales, but higher than them of 20% for profits. They rose by 7% even as sales of precision instruments, with operating profit doubled from the previous year: in this case sales below expectations and well above revenues instead. The medical branch has seen significant, although lower than expected.

The total situation then what is? Counting the photographic industry accounts for almost 64% of turnover, the situation is certainly not rosy, even though the very positive trend of lithography and precision systems, especially in terms of profits, give a bit 'of oxygen to the company, helping to contain the impact of the contraction in turnover in the photographic market. If Nikon will continue in its differentiation and will continue on the path laid out in growth sectors, you could find a balance. A particular, cameras with interchangeable lenses have sold less than expected, while optics and compact Nikon have led to more useful than reckoned in the latest estimates.

For next year we expect sales up sharply for FPD lithography equipment (+ 43%), with net profit growth of 2.7 times the current. Solid growth forecasts for the measuring instruments and microscopes. The medical will continue to make losses, while three negative factors are going to affect sales of the photographic industry: contraction of the photographic market, unfavorable exchange rates and delay in the launch of several key products also for the effects of terromoto in Kumamoto.

Nintendo towards expansion in the film industry

Tatsumi Kimishima, Nintendo's new president, hinted that the big N could soon arrive in the world of cinema. It is already in talks with several film production studies with the aim of making films on franchises such as Mario Kart and Zelda. He revealed to the Japanese newspaper Asahi.

Nintendo hopes in this way to make it even more popular his characters and to expand its player base globally. At present, however, there are no projects confirmed in an official capacity, nor is it known what will be the characters involved.

What is certain is that Nintendo is trying to differentiate their business, ahead of the crucial debut of its new console, NX, already described as a project that differs appreciably from the past, and it will not be easy successor 3DS or Wii U. With Miitomo has already entered in the furniture sector, while NBCUniversal has signed an agreement for the development of attractions for theme parks.

Nintendo already maintains several partnerships with for the realization of feature third-party studies for the cinema, for example, films about Pokemon. In 1993, however, came the infamous film of Super Mario, regarded as one of the major failures of that period.

During the Tokyo International Film Festival of 2014 the creator of Super Mario, Shigeru Miyamoto, showed a short film in 3D graphics dedicated to Pikmin. Recently reiterated Nintendo's intentions to enter the world of cinema with an interview with Fortune.

Cooler Master launches three new products 'Maker': a case, a heat sink and a 1200W PSU

Cooler Master has announced the official launch in Italy of three new products for the PC community Maker series, designed to provide a fully customizable system that gives users the opportunity to express and enjoy their own creativity. The new line-up consists of a case, MasterCase Maker 5; an air cooler, MasterAir Maker 8; and a power supply 1200W, Masterwatt Maker 1200.

All houses of MasterCase series have a common characteristic, that the producer holds in the name of FreeForm Modular System, with which the user has free will on the configuration choices based on multiple possibilities of assembly. MasterCase Maker 5 offers four USB 3.0 ports, one of which is reversible with the new Type-C format, and buttons on the panel I / O for controlling the speed of the fan and LEDs.

top panel and front are hooked to the rest of the chassis with some magnetic media, while, on the upper one, the user can choose different coverages that favor specific characteristics, such as the passage of air. The case can contain up to six 140mm fans and has three fans with red LED strips, while the front part is designed for the installation of a liquid cooling system from 280mm.

Based on the demands of the community of fans Cooler Master has created two new accessories for the houses: a side panel of tempered glass (€ 49.99) and a support for the video card (14.99 €). The company promises the arrival on the market of other accessories.

MasterAir Maker 8 is, according to Cooler Master, the first cooler air to the world to use Vapor Chamber technology 3D (3DVC) that "merges the base with heatpipe" helping to improve cooling by 19% compared to devices equipped exclusively of copper base. It is a heat sink designed for "intensive gaming and overclocking", emphasizes Cooler Master. The user can choose the design for the top cover, or choose from those available in bundle: including a translucent cover or an aluminum plate.

The latest product launched in Italy by the company is Masterwatt Maker 1200 Digital: it is a fully modular power supply 80+ Titanium certificate that offers 94% efficiency. The device is equipped with a FP Silencio 135mm fan that keeps vibration and noise to a minimum while still providing high air pressure. All important parameters can be monitored at any time through the app for Windows smartphones, Android and iOS.

Following are the closing prices of three different products:

Cooler Master MasterCase Maker 5: € 260 VAT included
Cooler Master MasterAir Maker 8: € 156 VAT included
Cooler Master Masterwatt Maker 1200: € 399 VAT included
Along with the launch of new products Cooler Master announced the campaign "Power Your Passion" in order to encourage people from diverse backgrounds to pursue their passion, including 3D animation, stop motion animation, virtual reality, modding, design, gaming, overclocking .

iPhone 7:07 Plus: vendors begin to deliver to Apple at the end of Q3 2016

Two widespread reports from different sources are in agreement now already in full swing during the production of the new iPhone. First, Digitimes confirms that Apple's partners will begin to deliver the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus from the end of the third quarter of 2016, a date consistent with the hypothesis repeatedly emphasized the marketing of new Melafonino in autumn.

Specifically, Foxconn Electronics and Pegatron Technology will take care of the production of iPhone 7 with 4.7 "display, while Winstron, along with Foxconn, will concentrate its efforts on Plus variant, or one with 5.5" display. Apple would choose to distribute orders among multiple suppliers to reduce risks related to production and should count at the time, on the support of no less than two suppliers for critical components such as batteries and casing. Among Apple suppliers Intel is also found that, according to the source, will provide 50% of the modem chip for the new iPhone.

The information from Digitimes are an indirect confirmation in a second report, the Economic Daily News, the content of which was recently released by CNBC. The second source refers to the activation of a new wave of hiring by Foxconn and Pegatron; the staff will be employed in the assembly of the new iPhone, it reports the EDN includes additional details about the startup timing of the new round of recruitment. An early start at least one month compared to the usual road-map production of the new iPhone, followed by Apple's partner companies.

The reason is linked, according to the EDN, the new constructive solutions introduced by Apple with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, the design of which is described as more complex than that of previous models. This circumstance activity of staff training would require assembly worker longer than in the past, making it appropriate, therefore, early recruitment to meet the delivery time.

Recent rumors have described the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus not too different in terms of design from the previous iPhone 6 / 6S and 6 Plus / 6 6 Plus. Then conflicting information, unless the reference to differences in design than previous models does not cover changes intervened in the internal components and not the external appearance of the terminals. Among the possible hardware changes include the integration of the soc A10, 3GB of RAM and the aforementioned Intel modem chip.

New reports suggest, however, that the market approach procedure of the new iPhone goes second when previously assumed. Some basic changes in the integration Melafonino future software could be presented at the WWDC set for next month (13-17 June) and during which Apple probably will raise the curtain on iOS 10. For the official launch of Phone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, however, will need to wait until the autumn.

IDC: growing wearables market with 19.7 million units in Q1 2016. Fitbit dominates

Of the wearable market showed a rising trend in the first three months of 2016, is confirmed by the recent statistics released by IDC. Deliveries of wearable devices reached 19.7 million units in the first quarter of 2016, value which translates into a growth of 67.2% over the same quarter in 2015.

To determine the positive result was boosted by a combination of factors, first luogol'arrivo of new models and price reductions of the devices already on the market. A maturing market with a trend that continues to be positive, as confirmed by Ramon Llamas, research manager for IDC:

The positive news is that the wearable market continues to mature and expand. The wearable we have today are several steps ahead compared to those we had when this market began, and are increasingly influenced by the shape, features and fashion.

Like any market segment growing, there are some negative effects for companies that participate, resulting from an increasingly tight competition.

The downside is that it is becoming a crowded market, not everyone is guaranteed success.

A reference, the latter, which can be put into practice remembering the events of startup notes forced to pull the oars, announcing staff cuts (think Pebble) or, even worse, the close of business.

Other data useful to understand the evolution of the segment relates to the net bifurcation with the emergence of two distinct subcategories of product: on the one hand that of wearable with basic functionality, ie those designed for the execution of a few specific tasks, such as the Fitness / motion tracking or monitoring of sleep, which usually coincide with devices that do not allow the installation of third-party apps, and, on the other side, that of the smartwatch.

Examining in more detail the performance of the five most important companies operating in the sector, or those who hold the most market share, the IDC analysis focuses immediately on Fitbit, which in the quarter in question has consolidated its leadership position the segment with the launch of new models and High Blaze. A statement of the proposed new Fitbit followed by a contraction in sales of previous models (Surge, Charge, Charge HR and Flex). Brand strength, product portfolio and a well-structured the effective price policy are the elements that have allowed Fitbit reaching the finish line, according to IDC.

Xiaomi is currently the second most important producer of wearable, position reached unseating Apple. The Chinese manufacturer is particularly active in the field of wearable basic marketed at very aggressive prices. IDC points out, however, that the success of Xiaomi is mainly due to sales in the Chinese market, while it is still far the company's international success.

Apple lost the first second position, but, as I said, continues to market the most widespread smartwatch. the Apple Watch has crossed the finish line of his first year of life, without a renewal of the offer, except for the marketing of the new straps. The reduction of the sale price announced in the spring helped it boost sales in anticipation of the new model.

In fourth position it is that Garmin has managed to overcome Samsung with a portfolio increasingly structured and based on the fitness tracker dedicated to sports. Also noteworthy innovative products with viewer Varia Vision, the wearable display that interfaces with Garmin cyclo-computers to provide real-time information to the rider.

In fifth place, tied, Samsung and BBK, both with 0.7 million units shipped in the quarter, or 3.6% of the total. The Korean manufacturer has managed to carve out a space in the smartwatch industry Gear Gear S2 and S2 Classic that differ from the main competing proposals for the presence of the built-in telephone connectivity. At the same time, the consistency of the park app is not comparable to that of the app for Apple and Android Wear Watch. BBK is able to match the performance of Samsung thanks to the success in the Chinese market with its children's wearable, recently restored with the arrival of BBK YO2.

YouTube adds support for VR and Google also Cardboard on iOS

Google has introduced support for Google Cardboard on the official YouTube client for iOS. The application has received a small update routine in the past few hours in which it is especially appreciable on the side of this new functionality. It is a feature of the app for Android has for months, and it can now also be usable with iPhone and iPad. To do this simply press the specific icon which can be found in each video.

Google Cardboard is a viewer for virtual reality both economic and rudimentary. It is a great way to get a taste of the new technology and is especially useful to navigate the 360 ​​° video. Within the viewer, formed from a cardboard structure in which are incorporated two lenses, it must be installed a smartphone, which acts as a display and that it is necessary to carry out all the calculations of the software and related orientation in space.

The Mountain View company is pushing a lot about virtual reality, and it is likely that this issue will be dealt with extensively during the keynote of the Google I / O opening, which will be held tomorrow May 18 at 19 Italian. Apple on the other side is a bit 'late on the technology, although he has expressed interest several times against him before with some patents filed, then with the formation of a virtual reality experts and increased.

Who has a Cardboard and wants to exploit it with your iOS device can do that already in many specific applications, some with three-dimensional graphics. From the past few hours we have been added to the list of compatible apps even YouTube, starting from version 11.18 or later. The update is automatically applied if the app is already installed on the device, or can be forced via the App Store from where you can proceed to download and install the client.

Twitter: links, photos and video soon excluded from the limit of 140 characters

The limit of Twitter's character is one of the features of the service, which offers 140 lines to inform people, to exchange opinions, comment on news events occurred. Within this limit we are, however, counted the link URL and photographs, apparently hated feature by many users of the service. The change could come soon, within the next two weeks, according to a new Bloomberg report.

URLs are automatically shortened by Twitter, but even in this mode gnaw almost all characters in the message, 23 to be exact. The company achieved in 2010 a service URL shortener (t.co) to facilitate the operation to its users, however many of these still consider the wasted space occupied by links and photos, especially in relation all'esigua availability of characters that are date for each message posted on the service.

If the new policy in the count were actually implemented would allow people to compose longer tweets, news that would approach - albeit very little - to some rumors in recent months that they wanted the company to work to eliminate entirely the character limits on service . Twitter has already said he will not come to that, but it "will not hesitate to build new tools on the service" if they will be asked in a loud voice from the audience.

Twitter has often encouraged its users to include more multimedia content in messages, such as video, animated GIF, or polls, but now one that requires the audience is that they do not erode the availability of characters. With less stringent limits users will no longer be included in the "multimedia post" far shorter comments, and can finally use a more conversational tone.

Eight, self-driving trucks by former employees of Google, Apple and Tesla

The areas of application of self-driving cars are varied and also include transport services for the transfer of goods by road. One usage scenario that Otto, a newly established company and is headquartered in San Francisco, is looking forward to kicking off, specifically, a series of autonomous driving trucks on a test.

The company consists of a forty-person team, including former employees of Google, Apple, Tesla and Cruise Automation. Some of Google's former employees who have chosen to support the activities of Otto include well-known names such as Anthony Levandowski, historical figure of the Google team who carried out the project of self-driving cars, and Lior Ron, a former executive leading the division of Google Map.

Eight will not produce trucks with guider, but aims to develop "conversion kits" that can be installed on existing vehicles at service centers or directly at the car companies - this last chance, right now, it is subordinated to the company's ability to enter into partnerships with vehicle manufacturers.

The design of vehicles with guider of Eight agrees with that of the similar Google need to pursue the necessary testing, but, in view of the intended use of the vehicle, change the priorities. Unlike the Google cars, which has already enabled the tests within urban centers, Otto is focusing on the trucks on highways test, the typical path for this class of vehicles.

Preliminary tests involve the use of Volvo VNL 780 truck, but in the projects of Otto figure the use of vehicles of "Class 8", or the larger trucks and heavy that can travel the American highways. For completeness, it is noted that the trucks with self-driving developed by Otto require the presence of an operator on board the vehicle. The advantage compared to trucks without this guidance system is nonetheless appreciated because, on paper, can alleviate the driver's task particularly during long journeys.

Otto has not yet announced within as it plans to kick off the marketing of the above mentioned "conversion kits", or what it will cost to integrate the system of self-help in the trucks already on the market. Executives simply stating that the price will represent a small fraction of the value of a truck of $ 100,000-300,000.

As with other projects related to cars to autonomous driving, the transposition of the prototypes into commercial products passes through a long phase of testing and to require them to combine new technologies with all regulations that restrict the movement of vehicles on the road. From this last point of view, Otto should not to encounter special problems in the United States, since, as said, to the autonomous driving truck that is developing require the presence of an operator on board.

Sony Xperia Ultra XA Official: 6 inches and OIS front camera of 16 MP

The smartphone Sony Xperia X family are not made public, however this has not stopped the Japanese to announce a new device, Xperia XA Ultra. The newcomer, who should occupy the middle segment of the smartphone industry, has a large edge-to-edge display with 6-inch Full HD resolution and a chassis with metal frame.

On the hardware front Sony Xperia XA Ultra uses a MediaTek Helio P10 processor supported by 3GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage, expandable through the microSD slot latter available. In addition to the edge-to-edge display, the smartphone is interesting especially for the photographic sector: the back we find a form to 21,5MP with hybrid auto-focus, but it is the front unit to capture the attention. For selfie Sony choosing a well 16 megapixel module with optical image stabilization.

The objective of the front module is supported by the "super-wide-angle" lens capable of producing bright shots in all conditions without unpleasant effects of micro-moved. It remains unfortunately again without stabilizing the rear module, with the company that seems to favor the group selfies and not traditional photography. In the new model lacking the IP certification for resistance to intrusion of liquids and dust and the USB Type-C port.

Xperia XA Ultra will be available in Single and Dual SIM variants (supported Nano), and although the design features, is much more cumbersome than other devices. The dimensions are 164 x 79 mm with a thickness of 8,4mm: if on the one hand the result is undoubtedly commendable in view of the 6-inch display (Nexus 6 for example is 83mm wide, but long 159,3mm), from 'other it is still a burden to be reckoned with in transit.

Sony Xperia Ultra XA specification
Android OS 6 Marshmallow
IPS LCD display 6 "Full HD (1080p)
MediaTek MT6755 SoC Helio P10, octa-core 64-bit
RAM 3 GB
Up to 16GB storage expandable via microSD
21,5MP Exmor RS camera - 16MP Exmor RS with OIS
Wi-Fi connectivity
aGPS
Bluetooth 4.1
NFC
2.700mAh battery
Dimensions 164 x 79 x 8.4mm
Weight 202 g
The weight, then, is as high as 202 grams, too many if we consider that the integrated battery is 2.700mAh, capable, according to an estimate may be too optimistic by Sony, to provide up to two days of autonomy on a single charge. Sony Xperia Ultra XA should arrive in July variants in Black, White and Lime Gold at a price not yet announced by the company.