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Friday, April 29, 2016

Google and Microsoft: made peace. Stop all legal disputes

Google and Microsoft have more trouble to think about - one among so many, the cold reception given by the equity markets to their respective formalized quarterly financial statements in the past few hours - a good reason to decide to put an end to all litigation currently activated globally. The fight moves from the classrooms of market courts, by judges to the products and services developed by the two hi-tech giants. The decision was confirmed today at Re / Code of representatives of the two companies.

A spokesman for the Redmond said:

Microsoft has agreed to withdraw its complaints against Google, reflecting the change in our legal priorities

It is not lack of Google's response:

Our companies compete vigorously, but we want to carry on the competezione on the merits of our products, not in the legal processes

A culmination of Microsoft and Google taken no effort is made to resolve future disputes with a direct comparison and non-judicial procedures before activating new shares in courtrooms. The relaxation of relations between the two companies involved in the short distance of prosecution Google dominance formulated European antitrust authority, but, formally, there is no correlation between the two events. Google and Microsoft, in fact, confirmed that the cessation of hostilities was in for some time proud.

This is the second recent agreement aimed at eliminating judicial conflicts between the two companies announced in the last year. In October 2015, Google and Microsoft had decided to put an end to the counter-offensive in the field of patents. The new agreement has a wider scope of applications including not only judicial procedures implemented to establish the infringement of patents, but any legal action initiated by Microsoft against Google and worldwide vice versa.

This achievement is due to the more relaxed atmosphere created by Sundari Pichai and Satya Nadella, respectively CEO of Google and Microsoft, both because, as does Microsoft confirms, the legal battles moving on other fronts. Peace between two of the leading hi-tech industry players is undoubtedly useful to create further synergies. Microsoft has extended more often hands with Google (and other major competitor) carrying out a cross-platform policy whereby it has made available its products and its services for platforms other than the ones developed in person.

Ubisoft announces new RTS from the studio of The Settlers

It is a high fantasy setting strategy game in which players run five samples to defeat enemies and to regain the kingdom. Champions of Anteria will be available from August 30 in digital format for Windows PC.

Each of the five samples is characterized by an accurate power as Fire, Water, Nature, Lightning or Metal. To address each mission, players can choose three samples, selecting their powers in a strategic way to defeat their opponents. The tactical combat system allows you to pause the action at any time, so you can adapt your playing style, carefully planning the moves of the three samples.

Players can choose freely how to win the victory in every game, deciding, for example, if you free up one of the surrounding territories or defend another from imminent invasion. Among the various missions, the base management system will train their champions, as well as create new more powerful equipment.

The game is being developed by Blue Byte, the famous German software house also responsible for The Settlers, and produced by Ubisoft.


Google I / O: full calendar of events on Virtual Reality and Project Tango

The Google I / O kicks off in just under a month (18 to 20 May) and Google today announced a significant part of the appointments on the calendar, a circumstance that allows you to determine with greater certainty what will be the topics covered in the course of ' event. One immediately emerges with sufficient clarity and concerns the Virtual Reality and Reality Increase. Seven sessions in all, one of the most significant would be scheduled for April 19 and, like other relevant, will be broadcast live streaming.

It 'identified by the simple name "VR at Google", accompanied by a terse description which reads: "Google's vision for virtual reality, what we have built, what we have learned and where we are headed." Virtual Reality 360 ° with special in-depth session on the issues VR & Cinema Live and coding: Make a virtual reality game. At the Google I / O the home of Mountain View could announce its new Virtual Reality Viewer, protagonist of many rumors spread in recent weeks.

Current return, also, Project Tango, as evidenced by the planned sessions First we will discuss the issues related to the use in the field of gaming (6 Degree of Freedom Gaming on Android with Project Tango); the second, "Introducing Project Tango Learning Area", will focus on the functions of "spatial learning." The sensors, provided by the Project Tango devices can indeed "save" the space around the user, carrying out scanning and creating a 3D model. In this way, remember Google, developers can apply virtual objects in the real world, create multiplayer experiences and know exactly where individual players are located.

Describing briefly a third session dedicated to the subject, "What's new in Project Tango", Google explicitly refers to the launch of the first consumer smartphone with support for Project Tango, announced earlier this year. The reference is to the device developed in collaboration with Lenovo, whose arrival is generally planned for summer. Closing the framework intervenes "Project Tango Developer Panel", space intended for the experiences of the developers who have already made app for Project Tango (Lowe, Autodesk, Schell Games, etc.).

Virtual reality, augmented, Project Tango, without neglecting, of course, the Android operating system, featured in numerous sessions from the one that will illustrate the novelties of the new major release of the operating system of the green robot (What's new in Android) and the new tools available developers (What's new in Android development tool). Among the new Android N may include, among other, the strictly functional to the native support of the Virtual Reality app, as previously emerged. Do not miss also the initial keynote on 18 May which will focus on the most relevant ads.


Windows 10: numerous new PC with build 14328 IP

Major new build 14328 Insider Preview of Windows 10 recently available for Windows Insider users - both via PC and mobile - in the fast ring circuit. Brand new, very numerous, however, they are concentrated in the PC version, while that for smartphones Windows Mobile 10 mainly introduces minor refinements focused on the activities of bugfixing (understandable circumstance, given that the last build for the mobile IP was two days ago ). Among the fixes introduced mobile are those that allow you to take advantage of the new cross-platform features between PC and smartphone using Cortana (eg. Check the level of battery or activate the smartphone ringtones or sharing of maps between all devices). Without this premise, it has to look at the long list of innovations for desktop users.

Windows Ink. This is the function introduced for the first time during the conference build 2016, a software solution that greatly enhances the tools for the integration and sharing of notes and notes created by stylus. Windows Ink is integrated at several core apps such as Maps, Edge and Office and is automatically activated on the devices associated with active pen, as Surface and Surface Pro 4 Book. Devices that do not support the active pen, can try Windows Ink via the right click button on the taskbar and selecting "Show Windows Ink Workspace Button"


Start menu. They have made changes to the Start menu, from the union of the most used apps list with one that encompasses all apps; It has also introduced a side hamburger menu and move some features like the keys to turn off the PC, and those to access the settings and the File Explorer. The section of the app recently added, also shows three results (one above) and can be expanded to show the entire list of new apps.

Improvements to tablet mode. On the start screen you were reintroduced list of all apps in full screen. E 'can also choose to activate the option to automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode (to call it just a swipe from bottom to top).

Cortana. The digital assistant Cortana can be used directly from the lock screen. Two new ways to create a reminder: through pictures or through app UWP through content sharing function are also supported. The Cortana activation was then simplified and does not require Login or initial setup to perform simple searches.

search tools. They have been enhanced search tools thanks to quick search for content stored in the PC and in the cloud OneDrive.

Improvements to the Notification Center and Notifications. The icon in the notification center has been moved in the right corner of the taskbar, and is able to display a counter that shows the number of unread notifications. In Notification Center notifications of the same application they are not all marked with the icon of the application, but grouped under a single header with a single icon. The Notification Center now supports new messages sent by Cortana (for example, the conflict between two appointments marked in the calendar). Another new feature is the ability to customize the quick actions in the Notifications Center, while the rapid action activation of WiFi button calls the selection of available networks section rather than turn on / off WiFi connectivity.

Changes to the taskbar. The clock in the taskbar now integrates the calendar and is reported on all the taskbar in multi-monitor configurations. App icons shown on the taskbar now support a badge system, that summary notifications of events related to the individual app (eg. The app icon Post shows the number of mails to be read). The taskbar settings were moved to the Settings app, and the volume control flyout menu allows you to quickly change the various audio players.

Updates to the app settings. All pages have individual icons in the app settings associated, these icons will be displayed even when you make the "pin" a specific settings page in the Start menu. The section that contains the pen settings has been modified with the option to change the shortcuts of the pen, with a new option to ignore the input by touch when using the pen and the Ink Windows settings. In the App and features section introduced the option to reset an app that shows problems during operation and to manage add-ons and downloadable content from the Store of a specific app.

Management of virtual desktops through touchpad. E 'can now switch between virtual desktops using the touchpad via a swipe four fingers from the left to the right.

Improvements to the lock screen. Email addresses are hidden by default on the lock screen (you can intervene in the settings to use this option). The lock screen also houses the controls for the management of multimedia playback.

Rounding out the picture a series of further refinements minor:

For entering the credentials dialog box, or to increase the privileges of a program it is presented with a new design. Also, when entering the credentials are given the option to choose between scanning using Windows Hello, PIN, password or certificates
The icon of the file explorer has been updated
The file explorer can be undocked from the taskbar
And 'improved support to Japanese language
A very extensive list of innovations that anticipates most of the new features designed to integration in the stable version of Windows 10, a circumstance that will occur with the arrival of the Anniversary Update planned for summer. impatient to try new stuff described above is recommended to consult the list of bugs associated with the new Windows build that brings with it, as always, an equally extensive list of pre-existing bug fixes to Windows Insider users. The bug list, and fixes are reported at the end of the post announcing the availability of new build of Windows 10 and to which reference is made for anything not expressly shown in this article.

Alphabet, 7.5 billion of profits but misses market expectations

In February, for a few days Alphabet has occupied the first position in the world among the companies with the highest market capitalization. Google's parent company at that time had passed Apple, which has, however, resumed the scepter after a short time. In recent Alphabet hours reported quarterly results for the first quarter of 2016 missing market expectations, which has been shifted slightly and further the stock value of the company.

The company is still able to monetize - and long - thanks to its business in the market of online advertising, where it is still Google, and not satellites projects, to generate the vast majority of the proceeds. Alphabet has generated $ 7.5 billion profit on revenue of 20.26 billion dollars, whereas analysts had expected slightly higher numbers: 7.96 billion dollars in profits on revenues of 20.38 billion.

It is the cost-per-click, basically the money that Google earns on the decline for each click on the advertising banners of its own circuit. Compared to the first quarter of last year, the decline was 9%, confirming a trend that has been ongoing for quite some time now. One related problem for society since, thanks to increased via mobile device users, reflecting the clicks are also increased, by 29% accuracy, and grew revenue.

Continued uncertainty on so-called "other bets" Alphabet, or the satellite projects like Nest which currently erode part of the company's profits. Among these it was reported an operating loss of $ 802 million compared to a turnover of 166 million. Last quarter the numbers were 80 million in revenue on a loss of 633 million, so there is an increase in both values, with the losses that become even more significant.

Bet today on the technologies of tomorrow is not yet a wrong strategy, and Alphabet is not the only company to do so. Facebook for example has bet on Oculus VR, investing $ 2 billion, and Google has done so by investing in many other technologies. By the way, Alphabet can afford to "lose" almost a billion dollars in "new bets", since the business behind Google enables you to remain still firmly in the black.

The last twelve months have been very positive for Alphabet. As we said just above was for a certain period of time before companies such as market capitalization, and since last April has registered an increase of 39% on the value of the shares on the stock exchange. The growth was a little 'stranded in the last three months, with a decline of about 6%, but financial results have still remained very strong although not reaching, sometimes, the expectations of analysts and investors.

ZDoom: Doom battlefield for smart bot

The researchers of the project ViZDoom throw the challenge: to build a controller (in C ++, Python or Java) for the historic FPS Doom able to address other bots using machine learning algorithms in the course of the Visual AI Doom deathmatch Competition tournament. VizDoom is an artificial intelligence research platform based on Doom to deepen the techniques of visual learning and the so-called "reinforcement learning" used to "educate" the machine allowing it to independently develop their own behavioral strategy, determined by a succession of trial and mistakes.

Use bots to play Doom may not seem like a novelty, bots Doom controlled by the PC have faced for years human gamers. The challenge, however, lies within the limits placed by the researchers: the controller can only access the information in the video buffer, while it will be denied access to any other information, such as those relating to the map, the arms and the position of the other players .

The PC will therefore be made more "human" because the only input will be "visual" type, that is attributable to the items on the screen. They will change, accordingly, also the way in which the PC will control the bots and it is here that come into the field of deep reinforcement learning techniques that researchers invite to use to develop the controller. Without going too far with the memory, you may recall that in another recent challenge man-machine which has been much discussed, that between AlphaGo and the Go champion Lee Se-dol, were employed similar techniques.

Logging on to the official website you can VizDom to watch some tests using the visual reinforcement learning technique. In the first case the bot fires on the enemy responding solely based visual input (read: scanning only the video buffer data) ...




Developers interested in participating can present the material requested by 31 May. The Visual AI Doom Competition heats up in August and September. The final deadmatch will take place on the occasion of the 2016 Computational Intelligence and Games Conference to be held in Greece in September. In the first round will face the bots using a single weapon (rocket launcher) in a note map, the second is the weapon, and the map will not be revealed. Which occurs in deathmatch involving humans will win the bots that totaled the highest number of killings.

What may seem like a futile exercise in style or, at worst, a project that will have to explain its effects in the field of gaming, by contrast, is engaged in a much broader context and, ultimately, very profitable for companies that have chosen to invest in the sector of the "Natural Intelligence" (intelligent digital assistants, bots, etc.). At the recent Microsoft Forum 2016, held in Milan, for example, the company, committed to developing its smart bot ecosystem, estimated that by 2020 the estimated value of this market could amount to $ 5 billion.

Dropbox, at the end of Windows XP support

Dropbox has announced that he planned end of support on Windows XP in the next summer. An operation will be gradual and not sudden: from June 26 the desktop application for Windows XP will no longer be available for download on the official website, and from that date it will be possible to register a new account by systems running Windows XP. If the user has already logged-in on the service, the access will be maintained until 29 August.

The action of Dropbox is certainly not coercive, and does not force users of older operating system to leave the service without good justification. Windows XP was released in 2001, and after nearly 15 years is still used on a considerable number of personal computers, both for private individuals and companies. This does not mean that it is a secure operating system, as Microsoft itself has now ceased all support for two years.

Dropbox is forced to abandon XP for reasons of versatility. The company is preparing additional features to improve the performance and safety of the service, but to take advantage of these added users must use a newer operating system Windows XP. In short, the old operating system is becoming a kind of ballast for developers, and continue to have to consider is not always easy.

If you do not consider the Dropbox alerts course you do not lose the files stored on the service: in fact these are no longer accessible on machines running Windows XP or an earlier operating system. Access to non-Dropbox (and web site dedicated application) will still be possible, although not linked to the use of the application features will be available (such as automatic file backup).

In the first quarter of 2016. Windows XP is still installed on 11% of personal computers in circulation, but that does not mean that it's time to upgrade.

ASUS presents the first monitor gaming MG series with 4K and Adaptive Sync

The ASUS MG monitors cater to a specific category of users, namely gamers interested in enhancing the performance of the GPU combining a display with sufficient technical characteristics: the response time content, technologies that eliminate annoying phenomena of tearing, to get diagonal and increasingly higher resolutions.

The new ASUS MG models are three: MG248Q, MG28UQ and MG24UQ. The first notable feature is the introduction of new panels with UHD 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels) in two of the three monitors. It is, therefore, of the first units belonging to ASUS MG line to adopt this resolution.

The model from the wider diagonal is the MG28UQ: among the strong points, as well as the resolution 4K UHD is also on 1ms response time (gray-to-gray). MG24UQ repeats the same resolution but comes with a smaller diagonal of 24 "IPS (in the big brother type TN) and 4ms response time (gray-to-gray).

Both support the VESA Adaptive Sync technology that eliminates the phenomena of tearing and stuttering frame, synchronizing the refresh rate of the monitor with the frame rate produced by video card. Adaptive Sync technology can be used in conjunction with an AMD GPU via DisplayPort.

The third group of the model, ASUS MG248Q, supports Adaptive Sync. E 'equipped with a panel 24 "FullHD (1920 x 1080 pixels) of TN type, it supports the refresh rate of 144 Hz, while the response time shown is equal to 1 ms (gray-to-gray).

traits common to all models include support Asus DisplayWidget application, which allows you to act on all the operating parameters without the need to use the OSD or the navigation keys, while not lacking functionality appreciated by gamers, such as displaying a counter of frames per second.

MG248Q, MG28UQ and MG24UQ offering extensive possibilities for tilt adjustment, rotation and height, all can be wall mounted using a support with VESA standards, and MG24UQ MG28UQ provide a quick release system which allows you to quickly disconnect the display from the pedestal.

Pricing and Availability

ASUS MG28UQ (28 ") and MG24UQ (24") are sold at a recommended price of 691 Euros and 479 Euros. ASUS MG248Q is available at a price of 359 Euros. ASUS has chosen as partners for the distribution of the first two Amazon models, while the third is available at sales points Next.

Following the detailed technical characteristics of the three new gaming monitor the ASUS MG series.

ASUS MG248Q: Technical specifications

Panel
24 "(61cm) diagonal; 16: 9 widescreen, TN

1920x1080 resolution
Pixel Pitch 0.276mm
Colors (max.) 16.7 million colors
Viewing Angles 170 ° (H) / 160 ° (V)
100,000,000: 1 contrast ratio
Brightness (max.) 350cd / m²
1ms response time (gray-to-gray)
ASUS exclusive technologies
ASUS GameVisual
ASUS GamePlus
ASUS Eye Care (Flicker-Free and Ultra Low Blue Light)
ASUS DisplayWidget

Input / Output
DisplayPort1.2,
HDMI (v1.4)
Dual Link DVI-D

Audio 2 x 2W speakers (RMS)
Design / stand
Height adjustment 0 ~ 130 mm
Rotation + 90 ° ~ -90 °
Tilt + 33 ° ~ -5 °
Pivot 90 ° (clockwise) ~ -90 ° (counterclockwise)

Dimensions 556 x (392 ~ 542) x 276 mm (with base)
Weight
Net 7.2 kg, 9.9 kg Gross


ASUS MG24UQ: Technical specifications

Panel 23.6 "(59.94 cm) diagonal; 16: 9 widescreen
WLED / In-Plane Switching Technology
Resolution
3840x2160 @ 60Hz with DisplayPort1.2 / HDMI (v2.0)
3840x2160 @ 30Hz HDMI (v1.4)

Pixel pitch 0,136mm (186ppi)
Colors (max.) 16.7 million colors
Viewing Angles 178 ° (H) / 178 ° (V)
100,000,000: 1 contrast ratio
Brightness (max.) 300cd / m²
4ms response time (gray-to-gray)
ASUS exclusive technologies
ASUS GameVisual
ASUS GamePlus
ASUS Eye Care (Flicker-Free and Ultra Low Blue Light)
ASUS DisplayWidget

Input / Output
DisplayPort1.2,
HDMI (v2.0)
HDMI (v1.4) x2

Audio 2 x 2W speakers (RMS)
Design / stand
Height adjustment 0 ~ 150 mm
Rotation + 60 ° ~ -60 °
Tilt + 20 ° ~ -5 °
Pivot 90 ° (clockwise)
Quick-release stand

Dimensions 556 x (392 ~ 542) x 276 mm (with base)
Weight
Net 7.2 kg, 9.9 kg Gross

ASUS MG28UQ: Technical specifications

Panel 28 "(71.12 cm) diagonal; 16: 9 widescreen WLED / TN
Resolution
3840x2160 @ 60Hz with DisplayPort1.2 / HDMI (v2.0)
3840x2160 @ 30Hz HDMI (v1.4)

Pixel pitch 0,16mm (157ppi)
Colors (max.) 1073700000 colors
Viewing Angles 170 ° (H) / 160 ° (V)
100,000,000: 1 contrast ratio
Brightness (max.) 300cd / m²
1ms response time (gray-to-gray)
ASUS exclusive technologies
ASUS GameVisual
ASUS GamePlus
ASUS Eye Care (Flicker-Free and Ultra Low Blue Light)
ASUS DisplayWidget

Input / Output
DisplayPort 1.2,
HDMI (v2.0)
HDMI (v1.4) x2,
USB 3.0 ports (1 x Upstream, Downstream x 2 / Power charge BC1.2)

Audio 2 x 2W speakers (RMS)
Design / Stand
Height adjustment 0 ~ 150 mm
Rotation + 60 ° ~ -60 °
Tilt + 20 ° ~ -5 °
Pivot 90 ° (clockwise)
Quick-release stand

Size 660.26 x (416 ~ 566) x 233.4 mm (with base)
Weight
Net 8 kg, 11 kg Gross

Two new AMD processors with Wraith Cooler

In recent months, AMD announced a bundle between some versions of their processors and a new cooling system bundled, indicated with the name of AMD Wraith Cooler and characterized by a very quiet operation even with good heat dissipation capacity. This heatsink was initially paired with the AMD FX models 8370 and A10-7890K, respectively AM3 + socket motherboards and FM2 socket.

Announcement today is the extension also to the FX 8350 and FX 6350 models of this promotion: from now these processors will also be supplied in a version with cooling system Cooler AMD Wraith bundled. The cooling system is certified for matching with processors characterized by a TDP up to 125 Watts; the 4 proposals that AMD currently offers on the market with Wraith Cooler are all equipped with frequency unlocked upward, therefore able to be easily overclock compared to the default specific multiplier.

At present AMD now has extended to 13 the total number of own CPU solutions, for socket motherboards AM3 + and socket FM2: are 4 those attached to Wraith Cooler 125 Watt TDP, while the other models use new sinks referred to as near-silent thermal solutions and characterized by a TDP of 95 Watt. The FX 8350 processor is available with Wraith Cooler combined with $ 179.99 List USA, while for the odel FX 6350 the price is $ 129.99.

More than 1.34 million dollars to hack an iPhone 5C: 'But it is worth it'

James Comey, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), gave some clues on the cost of the operation carried out by the Agency on the iPhone 5C Syed Farook, the bomber of the San Bernardino massacre. Apple itself has refused to cooperate with the US authorities on the case, triggering a strong political debate in defense of privacy and consumer rights. The release of the terminal has cost the US more than 1.34 million dollars as revealed by Comey.

This was revealed by Reuters, which stated that the FBI paid a higher cash amount to the salary the same Comey will receive until the end of his term, which will expire in seven years and four months. His annual salary is $ 183,300 that result, no increases or various kinds of bonuses, for a total of 1.34 million dollars in the period specified above. To say it was the same Comey inside the Aspen Security Forum in London.

"A moderator asked Comey the amount of money paid by the FBI for software that has penetrated the defenses of the iPhone," reads the article by Reuters. And the answer was: "A lot. More than you earn until the end of this work, a time period of seven years and four months." However the same Comey stated that in his opinion "it is worth it."

According to some anonymous official of the police's iPhone Farook it contained no sensitive information can provide new tracks to follow in the investigation, however, has helped to clarify some aspects of the killing. Farook has not come into contact with other people after the attack, suggesting that he and his wife have not had support of friends or family. Apparently the sum would be paid to professional hackers and not to external companies.

One of these is a "gray hat" researcher who sells security vulnerabilities to governments, groups working in the black market or to companies that create monitoring instruments. However it discovered the method does not work on the latest iPhone iPhone 5C, however, the FBI (and who has the exploit) can continue to access any iPhone 5C or lower, even with iOS 9 installed.

Kingston, here are the new USB Flash drives with hardware encryption

Every day in our computer pass sensitive and delicate files, whether for business documents or photos and videos of our loved ones. It is in any case of information that we would never want it falling into the wrong hands, and that's why security in information technology has been since always a very touchy subject. In this perspective Kingston has released two USB flash drives with hardware encryption families, available in standard or Managed (with Management Suite).

Kingston DataTraveler DataTraveler Vault Privacy 3.0 4000G2 and meet the needs of organizations required to comply with the FIPS standard and can be used as a management solutions thanks to SafeConsole suites Encryption Management Platform DataLocker. The two new drives offer hardware encryption with 256-bit AES, FIPS 140-2 certification level 3 for DT4000G2DM and FIPS 197 for DTVP30DM model.

With SafeControl you can keep safe all the data stored in the key through a password be reset in case of forgetfulness. The suite allows you to enable audit trails, geolocation and geofencing, and also has a lock function remotely in case the device is lost. It is of course designed taps for the needs of companies and professional reality, but which could also be useful for consumers.

Here are the technical specifications.

DataTraveler 4000G2 with function Management - Technical specifications:

encrypted security: all data are protected by encryption, so that no one can access the data without knowing the password.
Managed Function: The SafeConsole management suite provides access to a broad set of management tools for use with the centralized control based on SafeConsole server technology.
FIPS 140-2 Level 3: The drive is certified FIPS 140-2 Level 3 and is compatible with the TAA standard to meet the increasing demands of companies and governments.
Customizable: numerous drive customization options, including the numeric serialization, the co-logo and custom product identification codes for integration with standard endpoint management software (white-listing), to meet the enterprise IT requirements.
Interface: USB 3.0
Capacity: 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB
Speed: 4GB: 80MB / s read, 12MB / s write - 8GB and 16GB: 165MB / s read, 22MB / s write - 32GB: 250MB / s read, 40MB / s write - 64GB: 250MB / s read, 85MB / s write
Dimensions: 77.9 mm x 22.2 mm x 12.5 mm
Waterproof: up to 1.2m, according to IEC 60529 IPX8. The product must be clean and dry before use.
Operating temperature: from 0 ° C to 60 ° C
Storage temperature: -20 ° C to 85 ° C
Compatibility: Compatible with USB 3.0 and 2.0
Minimum system requirements: compliant with USB 3.0 and compatible with 2.0 - Operating the unit requires the availability of two letters of free units.

DataTraveler Vault Privacy 3.0 with Management - technical specifications function:

Protection through encryption: All data is protected by hardware-based encryption, so that nobody can access the data without knowing the password
Managed Function: IT administrators have the ability to manage USB drives by SafeConsole suites, allowing them to access a broad set of management tools for use with the centralized control based on SafeConsole server technology.
FIPS 197 and compatibility with the standard TAA
anti-virus protection ESET2: The drive is available with anti-virus protection to secure your data against viruses, spyware, Trojans, worms, rootkits, adware and other virtual threats.
Customizable: Customize the drives in different ways, with the numeric serialization, programs co-logo and custom product identification codes for integration with standard management software endpoints (white-listing), to meet the IT needs internal companies.
Interface: SuperSpeed ​​(USB 3.0)
Capacity: 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB
Speed: 4GB: 80MB / s read, 12MB / s write - 8GB & 16GB: 165MB / s read, 22MB / s write - 32GB: 250MB / s read, 40MB / s write - 64GB: 250MB / s read, 85MB / s write
Dimensions: 77.9mm x 22.2mm x 12.05mm
Waterproof: Up to 4 ft .; conforms to IEC 60529 IPX8. The products must be clean and dry before use
Operating temperature: from 0 ° C to 60 ° C
Storage temperature: -20 ° C to 85 ° C
Compatibility: Compatible with USB 3.0 and 2.0
Minimum system requirements: compliant with USB 3.0 and compatible with 2.0 - Operating the unit requires the availability of two letters unitàlibere

Designed for the business and professional market, the new Kingston USB flash drives are offered at a list price significantly higher than the traditional, and unlike the latter have a five-year warranty with free technical support.

Xplova X5: Acer enters the computer market for cycling

A computer for your bike? And 'this Acer's goal with Xplova X5, presented yesterday at the event next @ acer in New York, aims to innovate in the field of GPS systems for cycling.

What is it? This product is so outwardly almost identical to the number of GPS devices for bicycles, used to keep track of the distance during the execution of its activities providing information about related data such as average and maximum speed, split for each km or user-set distance and cardiac performance using a combined heart rate monitor. Not missing, in more sophisticated models, the ability to view the maps of the path you are currently using the large screen size.

Xplova X5 integrates all this combine them with a video recording capabilities using a built-in front camera chassis capable of recording up to 720p resolution. Thanks to an approach to the recording of data defined smart is possible for the user to preset the mode of the intelligent type of video recording, for example by tying it to the achievement of a predetermined heart rate, or to pass along the points identified as particularly scenic or pad.

Do not miss the opportunity to perform live tracking session, during which you can follow other runners engaged on the same path as well be followed in turn. The Smart Sign Guidance system also provides detailed directions when you approach an intersection on your route. The connection to the web is ensured by 3G connectivity for data that Acer has chosen to integrate default: in this way is not necessarily required coupling to a smart phone, or other mobile device to be brought hereinafter, in order to receive advanced information about Xplova X5 .

Acer reports autonomy up to 16 hours for this product, as well as compatibility with devices that use the ANT + transmission protocol: in this way Xplova X5 is compatible with the accessories developed by the American company Garmin devices, including heart rate monitors, sensors cadence and power sensors.

The product will be marketed during the third quarter of the year, at a price that has not been officially announced, but it should position itself around $ 500 plus tax. Important to note that X5 is branded Acer, but that the Taiwanese company has chosen to develop the brand Xplova specifically for this type of product.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Quarter still in the red for AMD, but a joint venture on the horizon

Yesterday evening AMD has released its financial results for the first three months of 2016, with an even operating at a loss because of $ 68 million with a turnover of 832 million dollars. In comparison with the same period last year the company reported a significant sales decline, equal to -19%, although with a loss that is less than that of the previous 12 months.

In terms of net AMD quarterly result ended Q1 2016 with a loss of 109 million dollars, 180 million less than in Q1 2015, but slightly higher than the 102 million loss for the fourth quarter 2015.

Computer Graphics division and totaled sales of $ 460 million, down 14% compared to Q1 2015, producing a quarterly loss of $ 70 million. For the division Enterprise, Embedded and Semi-Custom turnover for the period amounted to $ 372 million, down 25% from the previous year: this has led to a quarterly profit decline, down from the previous 45 million of dollars to the current 16 million. The estimates for the first three months of 2016 are an increase in turnover of 15%, with a 3% margin of fluctuation upwards or downwards.

On the sidelines of financial data AMD announced that it has signed an agreement with Tianjin Haiguang Advanced Technology Investment Company, Limited (THATIC), a Chinese company that is engaged in the production of system-on-chip solutions for the Chinese server market. The two companies will form a joint venture in which the contribution of AMD will focus on intellectual property assignment she held related to the x86 architecture and development of SoC systems: the purpose of the joint veture is developing SoC solutions with high performance as well as of processors intended for use in the server business for the Chinese market.

The part of THATIC will be to provide more technological resources, in addition to the financial component for the development of projects: for AMD this agreement will lead to a payment to AMD of $ 293 million to licensing, in addition to any other earnings away in future royalties. The $ 293 million will be paid to AMD at various times better not specified, in conjunction with the achievement of specific objectives in the development process of new products of the joint venture.

For the present moment there is no specific information about which technologies and architectures from AMD will be used by the joint venture is in any case of intellectual property related to the production of CPU and not the GPU, and it is conceivable since the target audience that AMD can use at least parts of the future architecture Zen for products developed by the joint venture.

Facebook still against the catch-click sites: Official new change in the algorithm

For years, Facebook tries to refine their algorithms to give priority in the News Feed to content considered relevant, although with some difficulty breathing. In the summer of 2014 claimed to have refined their code to give less importance to content click-baiting, last year instead began to consider more important the time spent on the page, than the simple view count. The goal is to give greater prominence to quality content.

The latest changes made by the technicians of the company and announced in recent hours are based precisely on the same mission: to give truly interesting content users and combat the problem of catch-click sites, exploiting the action apparently very interesting titles and calls, directing the 'user to content that, after all, they are not so interesting. This practice is colloquially called click-baiting.

This name indicates that more and more abused on social methodology with which to manage an account or a page leads to external links often imbued with banner advertising for purposes of course aimed to gain. Who publishes the content tries to capture the user's attention with titles often sensationalized, yet without specifying exactly the topic which is discussed within it. widespread practice and abused on social Zuckerberg.

The latest changes aim to give even greater importance to the time spent in viewing the content as with click-baiting headlines the effect obtained is comparable to that of a "rebound", with the user entering the page coming in a few moments after checking the paucity of content. In addition to this feature, the new algorithm also aims to analyze the diversity of the content posted by the page.

At present the algorithm changes are planned mainly on Instant Articles and the mobile browser: "With these changes we want to better understand which items may be interesting for users relying on the time spent inside, this way is more likely to see content the reading of which may be of interest, "it said in the statement released publicly by the company, and that you can find at this address.

In short, Zuckerberg wants to make it even more powerful tool bringing the Instant Articles in the News Feed of content that users can effectively arouse their interest. The new algorithm will be released gradually in the coming weeks, with some publishers may have a small impact on the company in the generated traffic.

Apple: censorship comes from China. Closed iBook Store and iTunes Movie Store

No preferential treatment for Apple, like other western companies, is to deal with the regulation recently introduced by the Chinese authorities to filter the creative content published online. The first concrete result of the new regulations drawn up by the Administration of the State Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has resulted in the closure of the iBook Store and dell'Itunes Movie Store in the Chinese market. No books and movies, until further notice, despite the statement by the spokesman of the House of Cupertino released to The Wall Street Journal that hints at the future possibility of reactivation, without considering the merits of the timing:

We hope to make it available again books and movies for our customers in China as soon as possible

Apple, obtaining a positive opinion of the Chinese authorities, had activated in September of last year, the official store for distribution of e-books and movies for users who use an iDevice. The address change is linked to the Regulation entered into force in China on 10 March it attaches to Chinese control authorities powers to "creative work published online", a very broad concept, in which converge not only e-book and video, but also audio, games and images.

The Regulation replaced the previous legislation dating back to 2001 and adopted after China's entry into the World Trade Organization. The new regulation provides, first, the need to apply for approval to the Chinese authorities to publish online content mentioned above and the legitimate monitoring of online publishers carried out by the authorities.

In the opinion communicated by The Wall Street Journal by Daniel H Rosen, Rhodium Group, a market analysis company specializing in the dynamics of the Chinese economy, the decision to block the content of the Apple store could not be determined by a simple procedural defect or by failure to follow procedures required by regulation to publish online content, but it would be due to substantial reasons.

The ultimate goal would be to apply a form of censorship of online content and, simultaneously, protect and promote local businesses by slowing down or stopping altogether the activities of foreign companies. An assessment that, if correct, would provide further negative effects generated by the house of Cupertino: think of the Apple Pay service that the company has recently started in China in collaboration with Union Pay. A suspicion towards not only Apple, of course, but to all foreign companies, can potentially cause damage to the Chinese economy in the long run, adds the Rhodium Group analyst.

They are 3 new Acer projectors F7 series, bright for large environments

Not only portable and mobile devices PC: Acer announced, on the occasion of their next event @ acer held in New York a range of new projectors, belonging to F7 family, designed for installations in large environments for business users, the education world as well as for installations consumer. These may sound like a niche product for a company like Acer, which in the popular imagination is engaged in PC systems and mobile devices, but it is not: among other Acer is the third largest world manufacturer of projectors, as indicated in the PMA 2015Q4 Worldwide Projector Census.

The 3 new models differ between them for maximum resolution:

F7600 WUXGA resolution
F7500 Full HD resolution
F7200 resolution XGA
Of particular interest in the environment configuration flexibility: it is reported as models designed for very large rooms and therefore can be installed at distances from the screen, which may differ significantly. For this reason, Acer offers 5 different kinds of optical systems such as options, starting from a minimum projection distance of 0.8 meters up to 20 meters which maximum with the super long optical.

1. short Optics: 0.8 to 5.0 meters (2.7 to 16.4 feet)
2. semi-short Optics: 1-9 meters (3.3 to 29.6 feet)
3. Standard Optics: 1.5 to 7 meters (4.9 to 22.9 feet)
4. Long Optics: 2-20 meters (6.6 to 65.5 feet)
5. Optical super long: 3-20 meters (9.9 to 65.6 feet)

Among the remaining technical features include the high brightness, which reaches a maximum of 6,000 lumens so as to better adapt the installation of the projectors also in environments with strong illumination. The positioning of the lens to the center of the frame allows it to be moved both vertically and horizontally, so as to allow very different installation options up to 360 degrees of rotation while keeping the original format and size without distortion

These new projectors will be marketed in Italy starting from the third quarter of 2016, with prices starting at € 2,999.

Revive PC sales? And 'possible, with the most beautiful screens

One of the elements that might push consumers towards the purchase of a new personal computer is what has probably been the most underrated producers in recent years. We speak of course of the screen, with particular reference to mobile PCs. If the tablet presented on the market in recent years were all characterized by the use of the display by the increasingly high quality and increasing resolutions, in the traditional PC world has remained anchored in low-quality panels and resolutions not to paso with the times .

This dynamic is partly changed since the debut of various notebook medium high combined with an appropriate quality screens wing, but is still struggling to become widespread in the segment of cheaper end products. Something is however set to change in the coming years, as anticipates the research institute IHS in its latest report.

We will see during the course of this year to a sharp increase in the number of panels with full HD resolution than standard HD (1280x720 resolution or the like), with a draw in market share between these two standards expected in the course of 2017 and final, as well as long-awaited, overcome by the Full HD display in the course of 2018.

There will also screens from higher resolution than Full HD, but in this case the growth will be slower with a market share in the expected 10% to 2018. Here, therefore, that the re-launch strategies of the PC platform as a whole will also pass through display that, regardless of the diagonal, will be of higher quality and are able to operate at increasingly high resolution.

Virtual reality will generate sales of $ 2 billion in 2016

9.6 million virtual reality units sold in 2016 and a total turnover of 2.3 billion dollars. These are the figures that emerge from the last IDC report, according to which these VR devices only represent the beginning of a new category of products which then will result in RA and that will be the foundation for growth in the sale of hardware solutions. International Data Corporation forecasts sales to 110 million units by 2020 with regard to the sectors VR and AR considered together.

IDC identifies three market segments: Screenless, viewers that use the screens of existing devices such as smartphones (in the case of Samsung Gear VR); Tethered Head Mounted Displays, that exploit the computing power of separate systems such as a console or a PC (in the case of Oculus Rift and HTC Lives); Standalone and HMD, which dispose autonomously the necessary calculations to reproduce the experience (such as Microsoft HoloLens). IDC does not enter, however, in any class devices that do not offer electronic components such as Google Cardboard.

"As for the category of Tethered Head Mounted Displays, and then Sony PlayStation VR, HTC Lives and Oculus Rift, we should reach 2 million units shipped in 2016," said Tom Mainelli, vice president for Devices & Displays, IDC. "If you cross this figure to that on the sales of those viewers with no screen, such as those provided by Samsung and other manufacturers, are beginning to see how we are forming an interesting installed base for" content creators.

"Video games first will drive sales this year," added Lewis Ward, research director of Gaming. "Although there have been some problems in hardware deliveries, I'm sure it will be resolved before the Christmas season. The addition of exciting new titles will lead to a new wave of hardware VR HMD, increasing the interest of those who buy these solutions for themselves, family members or friends. "

The hardware of augmented reality, however, will come on the market at a later time. "Even if some development kit like those of Microsoft and Meta are already interesting, these hardware are much more difficult to produce than products of VR," said Mainelli. "Assembly of fully functional devices is more important to arrive quickly, so we hope that the various players in the sector continue with their slow and precise approach in this area, since the AR will have a profound impact on the way we interact with the technologies and also on our way to work. in the meantime, we expect software developers begin to experiment using the devices already in use such as smartphones and tablets. "

Between 2016 and 2020, IDC predicts an increase in sales of VR solutions equal to 183.8%, while the growth for AR hardware stood at 189.8%.

IDC therefore identifies AR / VR as one of six acceleration factors of the digital transformation in the coming years with new business opportunities and changes to lifestyle in the way of working. Analysts are also working on a guide to the expenditure related to the technologies associated with VR and AR, which will be published in the month of June.

Microsoft Q3 2016: good Surface and cloud, Lumia sales dive

Microsoft announced financial results for its third fiscal quarter 2016, ended in late March. Quarter ended in surplus, despite a decline in sales and profit on an annual basis. The Redmond posted GAAP revenues of US $ 20.5 billion which generated a GAAP net income of 3.8 billion dollars (4.985 billion dollars in the same period last year. The articulated business activities Microsoft stand out the positive trends highlighted by sales of Surface devices and cloud services; on the other side the results of Lumia devices characterized by the recent massive drop in sales.

The turnover generated by the Surface devices, driven in the current quarter from the sale of Surface and Surface Pro 4 Book, totaled $ 1.1 billion ($ 713 million in Q3 2016); Microsoft, however, does not provide the exact data in terms of units and type of models sold. One of the most critical voices of the new interim financial statements consists of the Lumia devices: only 2.3 million units were sold in the current quarter, a figure that translates into a 73% drop in sales (8.6 million units in Q3 1016) and reduced turnover by 46% compared to the same period last year.

A result which, unfortunately, not surprising given that the company has further reduced the Lumia business, selling only a new medium to low-end model - Lumia 650 - in the first three months of the year. Xbox does better, at least from the perspective of Xbox Live subscribers increased by 26% on an annual basis: the service can now count 46 million users, while the number of consoles sold was not disclosed.

The turnover of the Windows OEM licenses, as always linked to the PC market dynamics, recorded a further contraction of 2% year on year, lower than the 7% reported in the previous quarter. A signal of the fact that, albeit still difficult, the situation shows slight signs of improvement of certain, like Microsoft states, to request a higher premium devices. Cloud office and continue to represent major budget items. Office and Office 365 (both commercial versions, is that intended final user) registered a slight increase in turnover (+ 1%) to $ 6.5 billion. The Office 365 users are further increased to a total of 22.2 million (+1.6 million compared to the previous quarter).

As for the sector "Intelligent Cloud", which includes products and services servers (including Windows Server and Azure), there was a growth of 3% turnover with 6.1 billion dollars. Stands out, above all, the Azure performance with increased revenues by 120% and use the Azure and SQL Azure more than doubled year on year database. Microsoft pointed out, moreover, that in the quarter in question, the run-rate  commercial cloud has exceeded 10 billion dollars.

Lawbreakers: the new Cliff Bleszinski game is fast and brutal

Lawbreakers is a contextualized shooter arenas with very fast rhythms like Unreal Tournament and Quake. It is the project that Cliff Bleszinski continues from the moment he left the Gears of War and Epic Games, but compared to his previous creation is very different, as you can check yourself watching the first gameplay trailer released.

You can register by going to alpha test on lawbreakers official website or add the game to your wish list Steam. For the moment, however, they are not communicated timelines about the beginning of the phase in question test.

The pace of the game are very hectic and weapons resembling those seen in older multiplayer titles mentioned above. But there is a greater emphasis on melee combat. Challenge two teams of five members who must face off in game mode based on objectives. The two factions in the game, and Law Breakers, will have access to the same classes, which will make lawbreakers perfectly symmetrical. Each class will be equipped with unique handling characteristics, specific paraphernalia and their attributes. All players will then have to interact with the laws of gravity, because only in this way will be truly effective.

Bleszinski had initially identified a free-to-play business model for lawbreakers and then back off and return to the premium method (announcement in March). At launch, lawbreakers will only be available on Steam, but for the moment was not disclosed the official price. "But it will be the lowest of the canonical $ 60," said Bleszinski. "During development we realized that the free-to-play model does not fit well with lawbreakers. For a competitive game like this balance is a top priority."

The game is developed by the software house founded by Bleszinski, Boss Key Productions, Unreal Engine 4, and produced by Nexon. At least initially, lawbreakers will come only on PC.


Journey to cloud: Explore the world of Cloud and its solutions

A journey into the cloud to discover the world of the cloud and its solutions with Microsoft Azure can only start from infrastructures in the cloud: Microsoft's offer is designed, engineered and developed to facilitate the management of infrastructure on a global scale so reliable as slender. The variety of features provided is very broad, including not only the storage and server virtualization but also the various web platforms, network defined by software and information security and access. All with the maximum simplicity and, above all, at low cost. While Microsoft and Veeam integrated solutions allow you to access the remote backup services immediately, through CommVault platform has the opportunity to turn all the data into information: information that, of course, can be used and consumed at any time and at any place it is.

But traveling in the Microsoft cloud solution also means paying attention to web and mobile applications: the cloud allows you to conceive and give birth to a stable and secure website, customized and designed according to specific customer requirements, tailor-made, with the integration of Wordpress. Azure is flexible and adaptable, which means that it can cooperate - both from a practical point of view and from the infrastructure point of view - with the most different tools not only Wordpress, in fact, but also Ruby and Red Hat, as well as Jenkins and Ubuntu without forgetting Apache Hadoop, PHP, and of course Java. Move business applications within the cloud (as well as terminalizzati environments) is revealed, therefore, beneficial and convenient.

Even data analytics and IOT are fundamental elements of Microsoft Azure: it pays to find them beginning with Azure IOT Suite, offering that leverages the IOT technology by providing pre-configured solutions that meet the most diverse IOT scenarios: the unused data can be captured and analyzed to give way to a profitable transformation of the company. Being pre-configured solutions, the IOT distributions are accelerated and competition is exceeded; in general, the business processes can be automated effectively thanks to the device connection, and you can also benefit from cooperation with a broad network of partners, so as to adapt the tools used in their field or their own needs.

Finally, one can not help but think of identity, security and mobility. We can not hide that, when referring to the Cloud, one of the thorniest issues is what calls into question the safety. Information protection and confidentiality of data is guaranteed by Microsoft in general, and Azure in particular, through a centralized management of access to different applications and through a comprehensive suite of security products related to the world of EMS, Mobilty Enterprise Suite.

Discover the Microsoft cloud solution

Acer Chromebook 14 for Work with Intel Skylake and 12 hours of battery life

Designed to meet the needs of businesses, small businesses and institutional users, Acer Chromebook is the first laptop with Chrome OS the company to integrate a processor with sixth-generation Intel architecture. Vibrant comes with a Corning Gorilla Glass glass provided with the opportunity to personalize the back cover with images and scratch resistant.

Acer Chromebook 14 for Work is compatible with the features of Google Chrome for Work, providing companies with advanced security, manageability, and reliability required by the target user on which Acer has designed the new laptop. The HD display models can achieve 12 hours of operating time, while those who take Full HD panels stop in 10 hours. Users can choose between standard and backlit keyboards, as needed.

All the handsets of the new series are resistant to spills up to 330ml, with a gutter system under the keyboard and the touchpad that manages to drain fluids through two drain holes to channel water away from the internal components and from the bottom of the frame. Chromebook 14 for Work has been tested to withstand up to 60kg in weight and dropped from 122cm in height, features certified by the military standard MIL-STD 810G.

The 14-inch display is mounted on a frame which is usually used for 13-inch models: 14 Chromebooks for Work weighs just 1.45kg and is often 22,4mm. Along the body we find a Type-C USB port, some standard USB ports and an HDMI port. The device supports Wi-Fi networks with 802.11ac 2x2 MIMO technology and can connect to external devices via Bluetooth 4.2. Among the variants we find models from 16 and 32GB of eMMC storage and 2, 4, 8 GB of SDRAM.

The different models of Acer Chromebook 14 for Work will be available from July at a base price of € 329.

Speedlink announce new trackball mouse Aptico

The new Aptico Wireless Trackball Mouse is presented as an alternative to traditional mouse. Is comfortable using, because it does not require any effort to wrist, fingers and arms. Haptic does not need space to move the pointer, ensuring, then, the possibility of using the most of each precious centimeter of the desk.

The device communicates with the PC up to a distance of 8 meters with a USB nano receiver based on wireless technology at 2.4 GHz. Such a solution is designed mainly to ease the arm classic fatigue due to the mouse and ensure a more natural posture.

The device 1600 dpi laser sensor is adjustable with 4 possible settings. The 4D scrolling wheel is rubberized, while on the face in contact with the surface are of the non-slip rubber feet. The dimensions are: 100 × 133 × 45 mm (width × height × length).

Acer, 23.8 and 27-inch monitor of the series BE 0 to very low frame coming

Without emphasis Acer has announced a new series of monitors indicated by the initials BE0, characterized by a reduced frame to a minimum. Admittedly, during the annual conference we were presented many things, but in our opinion they deserved more space monitor. The range includes two models of 23.8 and 27 inches, rispettivmente with resolution 1920x1080 pixels and 2560x1440 pixels, IPS technology and matte finish.

The viewing angle is 178 ° stated on both axles, while the color coverage is 100% of the sRGB color space. There are two integrated speakers but also 2 HDMI, DisplayPort, MiniDisplayPort, 5 USB 3.0 and DisplayPort out. The stated luminance is 250cd / m2 for the 23.8-inch model, which goes up to 350cd / m2 for the 27-inch.

We got to use the location in which these monitors were exposed and the impression was positive ones, beyond what was expected. The idea is that of a monitor intended for a demanding audience, and plays very much in favor aesthetics zero frame that virtually cancels the frame. Besides that the quality so eye it seemed high.

The frame of the monitor is really thin, although a little 'black always remains because the panel does not come flush with the available pixels. Unfortunately we did not know anything about the availability and price (we'll let you know as soon as possible), but the product has intrigued us and we will not fail to request one in evidence to confirm or deny the merits of our impressions, very positive.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

A specialized tablet for watching streaming movies? Here is the new Acer Iconia Tab 10

It was not the star of the event, it is clear; Acer has introduced many products here in New York, where the lines between desktop gaming and not a lot of laptops, many of which are interesting. Hence a tablet, the sector itself is a bit 'in crisis, it was not put on the list of the hottest new event. Yet Acer Iconia Tab 10 has something to say, especially to differentiate themselves from the competition and from other products Iconia Tab of the house.

The new Acer Iconia Tab 10, as the acronym, is a model with a diagonal 10-inch IPS, then the big ones but not too much. The ideal tablet measure, however, for the viewing of video content, according to recent studies conducted a bit 'all over the world. As well as the ideal was the resolution of 1920x1200 pixels, which coincidentally is also found in this product.

In fact, Acer announced that it has achieved this right model to meet the public fond of the streaming video, in the style of Netflix to speak. We talked about the diagonal and resolution, but of course the features do not stop there; other arrow arc of this tablet is the audio system with 4 front speakers, with setup profiles that can be selected through a dedicated physical button, without interrupting your viewing.

In the body there is a SoC MediaTek MT8163A, 2GB of RAM and up to 32GB of storage, expandable through the microSD slot. We also find cameras and 2Mpixel 5Mpixel respectively in the front and in the back. Other technologies go to connote this tablet ideal for video; a special treatment of the screen minimizes the impact of the annoying "fingerprints", while the rear shell adopts a finish that simulates the fabric, to prevent it from slipping off as a bar of soap when it is used on the legs or in other well positions different from the usual table or desk. It will be available soon in the US, at a price of about 250 dollars, while for Europe yet there is no precise information.

Acer unveils Liquid Zest Plus, 5.5-inch smartphone with 2GB of RAM and battery 5000mAh

During the annual conference for the Acer press has unveiled a new smartphone with generous dimensions, indicated by the name Liquid Zest Plus. Equipped with a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, the new model created by Acer house offers to the public with interesting features. Not top of the range, not entry level, as an honest and intelligent in some mid-range lines, a category to which many users will appeal regardless of the size of the terminal.

The hardware platform revolves around the SoC MediaTek MT6735, flanked by an amount of RAM from 2GB to 16GB and primary storage, expandable via microSD likely. Acer says to the front camera resolution 5Mpixel, while for the rear 13Mpixel. The Taiwanese company has stressed the great work done for the focus, which takes place simultaneously with three active technologies: laser, contrast and face detection.

The highlight though is the battery well 5000mAh, it declared autonomy for two full days even with heavy use. Leaving aside the matter of autonomy in the hours stated, the battery is truly remarkable when you consider that LG G5 comes to 4000mAh, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge reaches 3600mAh iPhone 6S Plus to "only" 2750mAh.

It will come on the market soon, and will cost in the US some $ 250; likely to expect a price in Europe area of about 300,00 Euros or so, which places Acer Liquid Zest Plus in an interesting price range compared to what it offers, while entering in a very crowded market and with numerous alternative against which to contend.

Acer Aspire series R, F and E, powerful and elegant new models

Day particularly rich in news related to Acer products than today. The Taiwanese manufacturer has not failed to provide special attention to the range of Aspire laptops that cater to users mainstream, presenting a business card represented by the low price - especially with the Aspire E series - a hardware platform with the most updated latest Intel's sixth-generation and versatility of use made possible by the Windows 10 operating system, which allows to create hybrid devices, such as Aspire R15.

The renovation of the Aspire line care, specifically, Aspire Aspire R15 and F lines and E. Do not miss an update for Aspire ES 15 that the 2016 edition is equipped with the latest Intel CPU and marketed in three new colorations. Software soul, in all cases, is constituted by the Windows 10 operating system.

Acer Aspire R15

It is a convertible device characterized by particularly cared design and construction. The first was awarded the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2016, the second hit for the metal cover and the bottom shell made of carbon fiber and silver particles to 40%. Acer R15 is a convertible with 15-inch display and supports, as such, four modes: laptop, tablet, display and tent.

The hardware platform update brought a dowry of the sixth-generation Intel Core processors, configurations with DDR4 RAM memory up to a maximum of 16GB, up all'Nvidia GPU GeForce 940MX, in addition to the increasingly popular USB Type-C connector. Taken care of even the connectivity sector with the integration of Acer ExoAmp technology that improves the wireless antenna placement and the support of connectivity 2x2 MU-MIMO. The display is IPS type, while the declared autonomy is 9 hours.

Aspire Aspire series F

Aspire F15 also comes with special emphasis on the aspects of design, characterized by the upper metal cover and premium finish. The portable F series are available in five colors (Sparkly Silver, Obsidian Black, Indigo Blue, Wine Red and Marble White) and are presented as a good compromise between design and performance.

The enhancements in hardware in the F series are shared to a large extent with the E-series models are equipped with Intel Core processors of the sixth generation, video cards that can get to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX950M and DDR4 RAM. Also present in the series E and F, the Type-C USB connectivity and wireless technology 820.11ac MU-MIMO.

Acer Aspire ES 15 edition 2016

Acer ES 15 has been updated with Intel Core processors of the sixth generation and is available in the colors Midnight Black, Rosewood Red and White Cotton.

Acer Aspire E series

They are available in seven new colors (White Marble, Steel Grey, Purple Twilight, Copper Red, Obsidian Black, Rococo Red and Indigo Blue. The body has a metallic design with a brushed effect. There are three configuration variants, primarily from different diagonal display: Aspire E14, E15, E17 with screens respectively 14 ", 15" and 17 ". as mentioned, the main hardware innovations coincide with those for the series F. the line It stands as a good solution for those limited budget.

Pricing and Availability

As for the prices and dates in EMEA, Acer states the following:

Acer Aspire R15 will be available in July with prices starting from 899 euro
Acer Aspire F series will be available from July with prices starting from 699 euro
Acer Aspire E-series will be available from July with prices starting from 399 euro

Display Predator Z1, new curved monitor with NVIDIA G-Sync Acer

Available in sizes ranging from 27, 30 and 31.5 inches, Acer Predator Z1 is characterized by a radius of curvature of 1800R, allowing you to be more than ever fully immersed and surrounded by the action.

As is known, then, G-Sync synchronizes your monitor's refresh rate with that of the PC GPU to eliminate the tearing effect (a video cuts) and minimize the clicks (stuttering).

The resolution is an ultra-wide FHD (2560x1080) with a ratio of 21: 9 and covers 100% of the sRGB color space. The response time is 4 ms GTG (gray to gray) and the refresh rate is 200 Hz. Acer promises a total absence of effects of smearing and ghosting. Finally, support for six-axis color adjustment enables smooth gradations, maintaining the natural gradations and faithful color.

The viewing angle is 178 °, while the base is tiltable and adjustable in height. In addition, the rotation function automatically adjusts from portrait to landscape images. A quick release system allows you to separate the monitor from the stand for wall mounting, while the cables can be hidden inside the stand to keep the organized play area and without obstacles. Some models include an ambient light with different customizable colors (red, green, blue, white, orange) and styles (hard, pulsating, flashing or wave).

The Z1 monitors also include other gaming features such AcerVisionCare and BlueLight Shield to reduce eye strain or GameView, allowing special settings like the dark boost, which optimizes the graphics to display more details in darker scenes and aim point assistance.

The monitor Predator Z1 will be available at some selected retailers in EMEA by July with prices starting at € 599.

Acer announces Desktop Predator G1 for LAN parties and gaming on-the-go

This Acer desktop intends to deliver a system with a compact body, but without sacrificing the processing power. Acer claims, in fact, that you can easily put the arm or on an optional case to take to LAN parties.

The Predator G1 16-liter case supports graphics cards with full size NVIDIA GeForce GTX (up to Titan X), the 6th generation Intel Core processors and up to 64 GB DDR4 memory. They are all from Acer designed solutions to ensure the best possible support to the new virtual reality applications.

The functionality Killer DoubleShot Pro, also, chooses the network connection faster (or Wireless Ethernet) and sends the high-priority traffic, while the slowest connection is used for the standard traffic. This ensures that the traffic with the highest priority is always conveyed with the fastest and most reliable connection.

The Predator G1, with NVIDIA hardware, supports G-Sync and graphics in 4K2K Ultra High Definition, while the Creative Soundblaster X-Fi MB5 and 7.1-channel audio support provides a quality sound. The Predator G1 also has a large storage space, including a hard drive (3) up to 4 TB (7200 rev / min) or solid-state drives with 512 GB (3), while a USB 3.1 Type-C January 2 adds expandability and fast data transfer.

Acer also offers a range of optional accessories for the Predator G1, including a mechanical keyboard, headset, and a wheeled bag. Desktop Predator G1 will be available in a few select retailers in EMEA by July with prices starting at € 1,199.

Here's how to change the Acer Predator gaming line with X

Acer adapted its line of solutions for gaming Predator to bully advent of VR. The new notebook Predator 17 X aims to bring overclocking and power of a desktop on the move thanks to a triple cooling fan. Desktop Predator G1, however, supports graphics cards with full-size GeForce GTX (up to Titan X), 6th generation Intel Core processors and up to 64 GB DDR4 memory. And we also Acer Predator series Z1, the first 27-inch curved display for gaming equipped with NVIDIA G-Sync technology and other features to players.

Here we talk about the Predator 17 X, the notebook equipped with Intel Core processors i7-6820HK sixth generation NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 and an exclusive cooling system triple fan. With overclocking, players will enjoy a turbo speeds up to 4.0 GHz for the CPU; up to 1310 MHz for the GPU and up to 3.7 GHz for the VRAM. Thanks to these features, Acer can refine this solution "ready for VR".

Noteworthy is also the 17.3-inch panel of Predator 17 X with NVIDIA G-Sync technology and available to the FHD IPS resolutions (1920x1080) or IPS UHD (4K, 3840x2160). We also find DDR4-2133 memory and solid-state drives for enterprise NVMe PCIe SATA SSD RAID 0 configuration.

In addition, the technology Killer DoubleShot Pro enables Ethernet and Wi-Fi to work together, so that players can use the Ethernet for gaming and at the same time take advantage of the Wi-Fi. There is the Thunderbolt 3 which, among other things, supporting up to two monitors 4K at 60 fps, with a bandwidth of 40 Gbps.

Predator X 17 is equipped with an aerodynamic fan, located near the GPU, which is equipped with extremely thin metallic blades (0.1 mm) to simulate the wing of an airplane in flight and increase the speed of the fan, reduce the resistance and the noise. Together with the other two fans present in this solution, the fan of the GPU optimizes the flow of air, while a steam chamber, typically used in high-performance servers for the high cooling efficiency, helps to dissipate the heat and allows the best overclocking performance. The Predator X 17 also includes DustDefender and CoolBoost systems, using two high-speed fans with reverse rotation to remove the accumulation of dust and improve heat dissipation.

The software Acer PredatorSense offers advanced customization features to the game functions like overclocking modes, macro profiles for keypad, programmable buttons for your favorite games and configurations to adjust lighting. Predator X-17 also boasts a backlit keyboard with customizable RGB lights.

The notebook Predator 17 X will be available from several vendors selected in the EMEA region in July with prices starting at € 2,999.

Acer Switch Alpha 12: 2 in 1 Surface-like with some extra gear

Acer, at the annual conference for the press held by tradition now in New York, announced the notebook 2-in-1 Switch Alpha 12, equipggiato with Windows 10 operating system and proprietary cooling system LiquidLoop Acer, on which we return later. To say laptops 2 in 1 today does not allow to identify clearly which type of product we are going to describe, as it is used for very different models each other; Acer Acer Switch Alpha 12 is a "device to the Surface", which is a tablet with premium components that connect keyboard and docking station, if necessary.

First important feature: no Intel Core M but Core i3, i5 or i7 sixth generation depending on the configuration. Secondly, but not least: we are facing a fanless system and therefore silent, then suitable for meetings, shared office facilities, classrooms, libraries, or for those who just requires absolute silence when you use the PC. This is the first time that a system with Intel Core i7 processor is available in a fanless version; cooling think proprietary technology Acer LiquidLoop in fact a liquid circuit on which we will ask for details in the coming hours.

Continuing with the description, in addition to eight hours of battery life declared to be mentioned it is the careful design and especially the choice of materials; if the design is virtually impossible to expect something revolutionary (it's still a tablet form factor, as premium), you can appreciate the choice of anodized aluminum with a brushed finish. Surely it deserves a mention to the display, an IPS 12-inch with 2160x1440 pixel resolution diagonal with upstream graphical management borne by the Intel HD Graphics 520 integrated subsystem.

Designed for video conferencing, but not only, we find a webcam capable of recording video in Full HD at 1080p with audio, while Switch Alpha 12 are also integrated 2 speakers, that we will just analyze possible. The amount of RAM can be 4GB or 8GB, while on the front exclusively to 128GB SSD storage in cuts, 256GB or 512GB, expandable thanks to MicroSDXC slot. Connectivity? The addition to Wi-Fi in most current standards and Bluetooth, there is a Type-C USB port and also a USB 3.0 port. Other features include two minijack microphone input and headphone output.

The full-size keyboard on the Switch Alpha 12 (magnetic hinge, adjustable tilt) is designed to be thin and light, with well-spaced keys. The thickness is 5.85 mm and each key has a stroke of 1.4 mm, considered optimal by Acer for comfort and productivity while you type. He could miss the pen? Of course not: those who choose to focus on this form factor (and others) know that it is a must also because competition makes it a workhorse. Hence Acer Active Pen, a versatile cradle and a dockable keyboard, the Switch Alpha 12 uses Continuum to be used both as a Windows 10 notebook, and as a tablet with all PC functions.

There are two keyboards, standard and backlit, while worth mentioning are also a number of docking stations to enlarge the potential for connectivity. The Acer Switch 12 Alpha extent 292,1x 201.4 x15,85mm and weighs 1250 grams, with attached keyboard. The tablet measures just 9.5 mm thick and weighs 900 grams. Pricing and Availability? Since July, with a price that starts from € 699.00 (4GB of RAM, 128GB SSD), really not bad if you look at the competition, which will not like.

Acer Aspire S 13, ultrathin laptop with touch Full HD display

Acer updates its range of portable ultra-light and thin presentanto Aspire S 13, a notebook equipped with 13-inch multi-touch IPS display 1920x1080 pixels. The target is not only professional but also the user searching for a lightweight notebook, portable yet equipped with processing power, all with a pleasant appearance.

Under the shell we find Intel Core processors of the sixth generation that will vary depending on the model, while the included RAM can get to 8GB. A particularly important, not at all obvious portable with a very slim design, is the replaceable battery; in optional version 54Wh the range is less than 13 hours (as stated). The availability of ports includes a USB 3.1 Type-C in addition to a USB 3.0 port that can recharge mobile devices, even when the Aspire S 13 is off.

On the front we find the wireless connectivity support for 802.11ac 2x2 boosted with the MU-MIMO (Multi-User MIMO), and Bluetooth. The keyboard is backlit with a two-stage system, to adapt to any light condition.

Acer Aspire S 13 measuring 327x 228x14,58mm, with a weight of 1.42 kg. Equipped with metal cover, it will be available from July in Obsidian Black or Pearl White colors. Prices? From 799,00 Euro.

Zuk Z2 Official Pros: compact size and 6GB of on-board RAM

And 'likely that later this year we will see many more, but we talked about the first smartphone with 6GB of RAM on-board only a few hours ago with Leeco The Max 2. To the list of devices you add Zuk Z2 Pro, made smartphone by a subsidiary of Lenovo, offering the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor paired, as well as to 6GB of system memory, a 5.2 "AMOLED display, and a UFS 2.0 128GB storage.

The smartphone will be available in two different variants, including the one mentioned is of course the variant to the top of the range. At a slightly lower price Zuk also propose a version with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage LPDDR4, again based on UFS 2.0 technology. Zuk Z2 Pro looks like a successor to the Z1, but a parallel device with a smaller display size (5.2 against 5.5 "), always full HD, but made with AMOLED technology.

Where Zuk Z1 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, now old although quite powerful, the new model incorporates the latest technology provided by the Americans. In terms of cameras subsidiary of Lenovo has chosen a 13-megapixel ISOCELL sensor with individual pixel 1,34μm, phase detection auto-focus and f / 1.8, capable of recording 4K video. The front camera has a sensor 8-megapixel f / 2.0.

As Z1, Z2 Pro Zuk also integrates a biometric sensor for fingerprint scanning (fast and reliable), in addition to many other sensors available to the user: we find a heart rate monitor, a UV sensor, and an altimeter. The smartphone supports 23 bands for cellular networks, 4G LTE and VoLTE, and can connect to Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth 4.1 802.11ac devices. The battery can be charged by 3.100mAh in Quick Charge 3.0 Type-C USB.

Zuk Z2 Pro Specifications
OS Android 6.0 Marshmallow
AMOLED display 5.2 "
Full HD resolution (1080p)
Qualcomm Snapdragon processor 820
RAM 4 - 6 GB LPDDR4
Storage 64-128 GB UFS 2.0
13 MP camera - 8 MP
802.11ac Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth 4.1, USB Type-C
Extra fingerprint sensor, UV, heart rate monitor, altimeter
Battery 3100 mAh
Dimensions 145.4 x 70.5 x 7.45 mm
Weight 145 g
Zuk Z2 Pro weighs only 145g and is sold with Android 6 Marshmallow installed natively. The variant to the top of the range with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of integrated storage will be available in China beginning Friday at the price of 2,699 yuan (about 366 €), while the availability of the "entry level" version with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage is scheduled for May 10, at a lower price but to date unknown.

iPhone, iPad and little space for pictures and videos? The solution is iXpand SanDisk Flash Drive

If iPhone has an indisputable primacy is that relative to the price: the latest iteration of the device starts from € 779 in the Italian market, a figure that Apple offers the base variant yourself 16GB of storage. For the version with 64GB of storage, its parent directory in the line-up, serving € 110 extra. Purchase so you have to choose between the compromise of having a limited storage and the need to spend an amount of close to € 900. And not everyone is willing to do so.

But we often find after a few months that the 16GB version of the base are not sufficient for our needs, which forces us to constantly move our pictures or our videos to your computer to free up space on the device, which is not always quick and immediate . It responds to this issue for some time the iXpand family of SanDisk, now available in a new redesigned version to be smaller and more convenient to use.

SanDisk iXpand is basically a USB-stick Lightning offering different standards in both ends and can thus be connected to PC, Mac and iOS devices. Available in versions with 16, 32, 64 and 128GB of integrated storage, the key allows you to drastically increase the storage dell'iDevice advantage for transfers via PC the fastest USB 3.0 connections. To use the key on the Apple device will download the app iXpand Drive via the App Store.

At the first start we are greeted by a simple configuration screen through which we can choose to automatically back up our camera roll and our contacts whenever you connect the key and we access the application. The new model also includes a cryptographic protection software that protects passwords via the integrated files, allowing users to also use iXpand to save sensitive files.

Through the application you can also take pictures and record video directly to your memory stick, without going through the device, and to back-up your saved photos on popular social networking sites or play video or audio files saved on the same stick. Very interesting also the key performance: during our tests we were able to copy a video file at an average speed of about 50MB / s, a feature that makes it less frustrating transfers.

IXpand SanDisk Flash Drive is available in the Italian market in versions 16, 32, 64 and 128GB, respectively, for the price of 49, 64.99, 89.99 and € 139.99. Compatibility is provided for the following devices: iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 2 , iPad mini and fifth-generation iPod touch. In any case you must have installed iOS 8.2 or later.

Cherry presents new MX Speed switch

Thanks to very short movements, the new switch of the famous Cherry will ensure high switching frequencies and extremely low response times. MX Speed is based, in fact, the Gold-Crosspoint contact technology that ensures precision and high performance. "This ensures the highest performance ever achieved so far by a Cherry MX" switch, reads the press release.

Thanks to an actuation point of 1.2 millimeters and the reduced movement resulting therefrom, as well as to the low actuation force (resistance) of only 45 cN, this high-precision linear switch is optimized for both low response times that for high switching frequencies.

Combining the precision of the exclusive Gold-Crosspoint contact technology and the reduced bounce time of less than one millisecond, Cherry MX Speed, according to the promises of the German company, will rank first for accuracy and performance in the ranking of all switch products from Cherry.

There is talk of 50 million lines and guaranteed the availability of variants with transparent RGB covers. The cover of the switch, with integrated lens and large dispersion area together with a LED SMD, guarantees an high brightness of all 16.7 million of the RGB color spectrum. Cherry promises optimal performance not only for gaming but also for typing. "MX Speed ​​is also suitable to write regularly and quickly, in the office or at home," reads the press release. "For this use, the switch is available in a conventional version with a sober standard cover".

Corsair will be the exclusive partner of Cherry for the launch of the new switch. The collaboration between the two companies known manufacturers of peripherals will run for six months.

HTC announces partnership with Dassault Systèmes. Virtual Reality in the enterprise

The application of the display HTC Lives in entertainment gaming can be considered as only one - and in some ways not the most important in terms of revenues - of the many usage scenarios of virtual reality viewer made by the Taiwanese manufacturer. Another area is that of the use in enterprise and government environments, one must still be constructed scenario, but that could reward HTC, thanks to its ability to diversify its business at a time when the emerging market offers good room for maneuver. To emphasize just the considerations involved the announcement of the strategic partnership between HTC and Dassault Systems.

To understand the potential of the new partnership is useful to remember how Dassault Systèmes is presented to the public and how it presents the platform that has much made known in the industry:

Dassault Systèmes, the 3DEXPERIENCE company, provides companies and persons virutali universes in which to imagine sustainable innovations

Translated into concrete terms, Dassault Systèmes deals with 3D design software, digital mock-up 3D and PLM (Product Lifecycle Management). The company has developed 3DEXPERIENCE, a platform that can be briefly described as a virtual work environment based on active collaboration of the principle of the group members. Easy to see the benefits of using the display HTC Lives in combination with 3DEXPERIENCE platform from Dassault Systems.

Exploiting the potential of HTC Vive system, Dassault Systèmes applications come to life by providing a 3D experience in a highly accessible format that enables customers to easily predict the possible solutions.

The usage scenarios are extremely varied - you can see some case studies published by Dassault Systèmes to realize this. For example, a car company could take advantage of the virtual reality in the process of modeling the vehicle and simulation of its behavior in a 3D environment. The multiplicity of applications in the enterprise refers clearly the President of HTC, Cher Wang, commenting on the new partnership:

The technology of Virtual Reality is truly disruptive in the business, so 'as in our lives, and Dassault Systemes is leading the way by showing how virtual reality can help organizations transform their business, improving their products and services or creating offers completely new. I am pleased to have Dassault Systèmes as a partner that shares our values ​​of innovation and quality, and our ambition to bring the virtual reality in the enterprise.

HTC and Dassault Systèmes will soon substance to the partnership by presenting the first fruits of the collaboration as part of a series of events that will affect our country. Among the projects already announced figure 3DEXPERIENCity, being demonstrated at the World Cities Summit 2016, to be held in Singapore July 10 to 14. It is described as a "3DEXPERIENCE universe" that would allow local governments and private partners to model, simulate, optimize and operate on urban projects and services in a 3D environment.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Facebook Messenger, group calls available to all

Users of Facebook Messenger can now launch a VoIP call group by applications for iOS and Android. Within the group screen just press the call button at the top right, select which components of the group call in the voice conversation and launch the invitation. Users can join the already active conversations and previously rejected simply pressing the icon representing your phone in the group chat.

The feature provides a maximum limit of 50 simultaneous users, although unfortunately we have to signal the lack of important features when it comes to group conversations, such as the ability to silence background noise of the participants who at a given moment are silent . Facebook began introducing VoIP in 2013, while in 2014 launched audio calls between two users.

A year later, Zuckerberg announced that Facebook was performed on 10% of VoIP calls worldwide. The next step of the Menlo Park company will probably be the introduction of video-group calls, where the social network already supports the ability to make video calls between two users. The goal of Zuckerberg is clear: to replace the social network through all the actions that are taken with the phone subscription.

Last year, Facebook has given users the ability to exchange messages even with people with whom you have no ties to the service. Compared to telephone services Facebook Messenger also offers several advantages: it gives more control over the management of users and is easier to avoid cases of online harassment thanks to the social network spam detection systems. It is clear that Facebook wants you also to contrast to traditional communications services of the web.

With the introduction of the group calls Zuckerberg launches an even more explicit challenge to services like Skype, allowing you to set the conference call in an extremely simplified with users you do not have the phone number. The main objective remains to replace and kill the traditional telephone communication services and old-school, including the eternal enemies: via cellular network calls and SMS.

Arduino clone is the size of a AA battery

Computer scientists who delight in a small logic board that caters to hobbyists do-it-yourselfer can not not know Arduino, and inventors and can be used in the most varied uses. The idea was born by Italy Arduino Smart Projects, however, they were quickly disseminated several clones thanks to the open source license under which the project was launched. Among these we find the new AAduino, clone that contains the logic board in the size of an AA battery.

Arduino was built in very small projects, however, the new project of Johan Kanflo goes further towards more extreme shores. Based on Tiny328 project Kanflo has managed to achieve the smallest Arduino board that we remember today, able to occupy the same area of ​​an AA battery. Through a specific cabling system is able to insert the card into a container along with two AA batteries that can power it.

To increase as much as possible the autonomy Kanflo has been forced to run a lightweight downclock embedded processor on the logic board, but the functionality of the Arduino are substantially unchanged. Embracing the spirit of open-source Arduino, the designer has released diagrams and instructions on its website and on Github, so that the small system can be created on their own based on their own knowledge when it comes to electronics.

AAduino can be used in projects that require small size to a minimum, and at the same time must be battery-powered. Kanflo it is based on some of his personal needs to achieve, namely the construction of a radio node, where the smallest logic boards based on Arduino not able to respond to these needs.

Google Chrome is used by more than 1 billion mobile users

Google Chrome has just crossed the finish line of the 50 version, released last week, and to celebrate the important result, the home of Mountain View has updated the statistical distribution of the popular solution for web browsing with an official statement. The first point made by the company covers the important results achieved in the mobile sector, supporting a trend that is becoming more and more evident in the field, ie the growing number of users who are using mobile devices as a substitute for traditional PCs to determine web browsing activities.

A number sums up sufficiently eloquent milestones cut by Google: amounted to 1 billion people using each month the Chrome browser on the mobile platform. A goal achieved thanks to the spread of the Android operating system that supports Chrome natively. The statistics of Google Chrome extend including other data to satisfy the curiosity of lovers of numbers.

The number of pages loaded in Chrome each month amounted to 771 billion, while that of the characters typed into the browser exceeds 500 billion, simplified business by self-completion of text functions. The monthly traffic, Google adds, is 2 million gibabytes; one mole of significant data, but less than that which would be produced without using the function to optimize the consumption of data supported by Chrome.

The Chrome diffusion statistics, as you can see, are a good way for Google to remind some useful features of the browser, for example, the pages translated using the Google automatic translation service is equal to 3.6 billion, while the function auto-complete web forms and password auto-arming enabled automatically compiles every month 9.1 billion of form and password.

There's also a reference to safety aspects: every month users are protected 145 million times by malicious web pages, using the integrated warning system in Chrome signaling potentially harmful sites. To stay on the subject of security, statistics close with the data relating to the remuneration provided by the community of researchers committed to identifying bugs and flaws in the Chrome browser security: more than $ 2,500,000.

Opera browser now with integrated free VPN

Browsing mode VPN (Virtual Private Network) is especially appreciated by users who care about the issues of privacy and protection of personal data, but also by those who - without hypocrisy - wants to circumvent regional restrictions that do not allow access to certain sites or web services (the use of the medium itself is legitimate, the purposes can be or less). Use a VPN typically requires the use of third-party clients. The Opera team offers a solution undoubtedly more practical and immediate: support natively in the browser navigation mode in the VPN.

The goal was achieved with the latest version of the Opera browser Developer (38) that provides access to a navigation channel encrypted with 256-bit, thanks to which you can hide the details about the connection, simulating that browsing takes place from a different country; as a side effect the VPN, allows to overcome the regional blocks of which we spoke at the opening. A purpose which, in some contexts, it becomes a form of expression of freedom of information (to be understood as freedom to inform and be informed) - think of the regional blocks that prevent access to websites and social networks run by certain governments.

And 'correct to specify that the function described above was introduced into the developer preview version of Opera and supports, at the time, a small number of positions simulated for the VPN, namely Canada, Germany and the United States. It is also conceivable that the number of the location will be expanded with the integration of the feature just described in the stable version of Opera. Another fact to keep in mind as the full free service - unlike other third-party solutions.

Opera remembers some benefits of VPN navigation that allows you to hide the web browsing users on your local network activities, bypass firewalls and access blocked content, hide IP address from websites and block many cookies, improve the protection of privacy while surfing via public hotspots. noble and less noble purposes can be pursued through the VPN, freedom of choice and the user, Opera provides a means to take advantage of VPN navigation very simply, creating an added value that can be spent in the challenge with browsers competitors.

Apple Vision Pro: Day One

It’s Friday, February 2, 2024. Today is the day. You’ve been eyeing the Vision Pro since Tim Cook stepped onstage with the product at last y...