VIDEO: GOG.com Has Been Revamped with New Features and Website Design

Besides Revealing a New Movie Service, Today GOG.com also Announced the Launch of a "Fresher, Better GOG.com". Here's Word on How the DRM-Free Game (and Movie) Marketplace is Evolving:


"We wanted to give you more choice as to how you pay for things on GOG.com. Now it's up to you if you want to pay in US Dollars, or in the currency primarily used in your country, whether it's the Euro, Pounds Sterling, Australian Dollars, or Russian Roubles. That's four new currencies supported by GOG.com for your convenience. Still - the choice is yours, so if you want to stick to US dollars, just switch to it - you find this option at the bottom of each page.

To make buying things at GOG.com an even more flexible process, we're introducing some new payment methods: Sofort, Giropay, Webmoney and Yandex. All this also means that users for whom the local currency pricing has been enabled will have an option to select one of two different prices for each game in our catalog. Of course, we stand by the simple truth that $1 does not equal 1€, so a game with a $5.99 price tag will cost 4.49 Euro, 3.69 British Pounds, 6.49 Australian Dollars and 219 Roubles respectively. $9.99 translates to 7.49 Euro, 5.99 Pounds Sterling, 10.89 Australian Dollars and 359 Roubles.


In a perfect world we would apply the same method of pricing to all of the games we offer. However, things are a little bit more complicated, and there are some games in our catalog that follow a different region-based pricing scheme. However, we wouldn't be GOG.com if we didn't find a way to make right by the users who end up paying relatively more for such titles. Here's where the Fair Price Package comes in ! The Fair Price Package applies to all of the titles which we couldn't include in our standard pricing scheme. If you end up paying more for a game than its standard US Dollar price, we'll refund you the difference out of our own pocket.


The refunded value will be added to your account in Store Credit in the currency of your purchase. That's right, no more gift codes, you'll be getting Store Credit that you can use to purchase anything on GOG.com or partially pay for an item that's more expensive. More choice, ease of use and less limitations ! Finally, the GOG.com store has gotten itself a substantial visual revamp. We went for a fresh, mobile-friendly design that should make it even easier to find the games you want, notice the hot promos, and see what's new. The main page, catalog view, product pages and checkout have been updated and also lay the groundwork for even more overhaul, coming within the next few months together with many of the GOG Galaxy features. We hope you like it !"




Info Sources:

http://www.gog.com/news/welcome_to_the_fresher_better_gogcom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZQL-8SDyi8

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"World of Speed" - "Dream Drive" Trailer

A New "Dream Drive" Trailer from "World of Speed", Shows Off the upcoming Racing Game, Featuring a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X and a Subaru Impreza WRX STi in Action. Word is, this is a Full-Throttle Race, though we've Never One of those that Driving towards Each Other and Stopping like the do in this Videoclip.




The Official Word is:


"Slightly Mad Studios and publisher My.com have released a brand-new trailer for their upcoming free-to-play racing MMO World of Speed. The trailer follows a full throttle race between the legendary Subaru Impreza WRX STi and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, historically some of the best rally race cars and long time rivals in the World Rallying Championship. As the world-class rally cars drift hairpin turns and blast down straightaways through the streets of London, they showcase just two of the many famous car models in World of Speed. Players will be able to hit the track with their favorite cars to prove once and for all who the best driver is by registering for closed beta, which will start Q4 2014, at: http://wos.my.com."




Here's "Dream Drive" Trailer for "World of Speed" :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdXnAq5E8PE

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Almost 70% of IT Professionals Suffer Weekly Phishing Attacks

A New Survey Sponsored by HP's TippingPoint Network Security Arm Looks at the Main Information Security Concerns of Modern Enterprises. It Reveals that 70% of IT Professionals Have to Deal with Phishing Attacks at Least Once a Week, with Customer and Financial Data the Main Targets. The Survey also Finds that 7 Out of 10 Attacks Originating from Inside the Network Come from a Malware Infected Machine. "Organizations are increasingly challenged to protect their networks from advanced targeted attacks, in fact, it is likely that most environments have already been breached with systems infected by malware", Says Frank Mong, Vice-President, Solutions, Enterprise Security Products at HP. "It's important that IT professionals understand how attackers are trying to break through the network and have confidence in their ability to mitigate attacks when every second matters".


The Survey of More than 200 US IT Professionals also Reveals that 60% of Attacks Come from Malicious Communication with the Command and Control Server and More than Half Exploit Software Vulnerabilities. Other Key Findings include that, the Most Common Country of Origin for External Attacks is China Followed by Russia and the US. There are Major Concerns surrounding How Employees Use Data too. Some 85% of Survey Respondents had Concerns about Illicit File Sharing and Use of Non-Work-Related Applications, while 63% are Worried about Employees Visiting Inappropriate Websites on Work Systems. Some 7 Out of 10 were also Concerned about Abuse from the Use of Social Media on Corporate Networks. When Asked about the Type of Data at Risk, 67% of Respondents, Listed Customer Data as the Most Likely to be Attacked, Followed by Financial Information (63%). Other Data likely to be Targeted in a Network Breach includes Corporate Intellectual Property (59%) and Employee Data (49%).




You Can Read More about the Report's Findings on the HP Blog:

http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/HP-Security-Products-Blog/TippingPoint-network-security-survey-reveals-top-network/ba-p/6587710#.U_3VZ_ldUSY


Info Source:

http://www8.hp.com/us/en/software-solutions/network-security/index.html?jumpid=va_f8jcm91eyu

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"Lords of the Fallen" Trailers

This "World" Trailer from "Lords of the Fallen" Shows Off CI Games' "Brutal" Action / RPG that's Due in October for Windows, PlayStation 4 and XBox One. Word is: "Beyond the sterling next-gen visuals, the trailer also includes the lush orchestral musical accompaniment from composer Knut Haugen, the musician behind the acclaimed Age of Conan soundtrack". On that Topic, the Main Theme from the Soundtrack Can be Heard in this "OST" Trailer. Here's More on the World Trailer: "Discover the world of Lords of the Fallen in this new trailer. Will Harkyn, the world’s only hope, defeat the fallen god and his Rhogar armies ? Only you will decide. Those that Pre-Order Lords of the Fallen will be bestowed with a special Limited Edition version that will include the official game soundtrack, Monk's Decipher DLC which enables players to uncover hidden secrets and the Demonic Weapons Pack DLC that gives players three additional special weapons to wield in battle".




Here's the "Lords of the Fallen" Newest Trailers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_dHIDQUyb4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm5PQtVpjVA

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NVIDIA Steam Streaming Support

The NVIDIA Blog Announces New Hardware Support for Steam In-Home Streaming Using NVIDIA Hardware. Here's How this Works: "VALVe and NVIDIA have just made game streaming better than ever. Last week, VALVe officially released support for hardware encoding on NVIDIA GeForce GPUs in the Steam client. Pair this support with one of our latest GeForce GTX GPUs and you can play remotely from your PC connected to any Steam-enabled system in your home at resolutions up to 1080p at 60 fps. “We’ve worked closely with NVIDIA to support hardware encoding on GeForce cards with our Steam In-Home Streaming technology, and the result is nothing short of amazing”, said Sam Lantinga, at VALVe. At NVIDIA, we’re all about great gaming experiences. Our goal for game streaming is no different: customers should be able to enjoy the same high-resolution graphics and split-second responsiveness on a remote system as they would directly on a PC. Our dedicated hardware encoder rapidly encodes each frame with the best required image quality, while keeping lag to a bare minimum. It does all this while providing amazing graphics performance and leaving the CPU available for even the most demanding games. The result: a great game streaming experience in any room of your house".




Info Sources:

http://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2014/08/28/valve-geforce-in-home-streaming

http://www.hardocp.com/news/2014/08/28/valve_supports_inhome_streaming_on_latest_geforce_cards

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New Announced Expansion for "Saint's Row IV" with Announce Trailer will Be Due in 2015

A New Standalone "Saints Row IV" Expansion Called, "Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell", Turns Out to be the PAX Prime Announcement Teased for Today, as Volition Reveals they are Teaming with High Voltage Software to Add More Sand to the Sandbox Game.




Word is:


"In Gat Out of Hell players take on the role of Johnny Gat as he is sent into hell via a nefarious spirit board incident and left to combat demons, the horrors of the underworld (including prominent historical figures) and, of course, the Devil himself."




This is Coming to PCs and Consoles (This and Last Generation) on January 27 in North America and January 30 in Other Territories and according to Polygon this will Feature 2-Player 'Johnny Gat' and 'Kinzie' Co-op Support.




Here's the Announce Trailer (NSFW) and here's Word:


"After the space faring antics of Saints Row IV, many fans asked what we could do next... the answer ? Shoot The Devil in the face. Play as either Johnny Gat or Kinzie Kensington as you tear apart Hell in a quest to save the leader of the Saints’ soul. Historical icons, old friends, older enemies, a talking gun, a full length musical number and a whole lot of other shenanigans all await you in the open world standalone expansion playground that is Saints Row: Gat Out Of Hell. Gat out of Hell is the standalone expansion to the award-winning and multi-million selling Saints Row IV from Deep Silver and will launch on January 27, 2015 in the Americas and January 30, 2015 in international territories for last gen and new gen console platforms as well as PC."




Check the New Trailer for the Expansion, over here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaX4ynJ-XE8


Info Source:

http://www.polygon.com/2014/8/29/6083573/saints-row-gat-out-of-hell-sends-the-saints-to-hell-in-2015

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"Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor" - "Meet Ratbag" Trailer

A New "Meet Ratbag" Trailer Introduces 'Ratbag', an NPC from "Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor", the upcoming Tolkienesque Adventure. Word is this isn't just any Uruk: "While Uruks are dynamically generated through the Nemesis System and unique to each player, Ratbag is a special Uruk who plays a critical role in the story as Talion goes on his journey to destroy Sauron’s army".




Info Source for the New Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq16MaIjMYs

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VIDEO: Oculus Rift Turns Rollercoaster Ride into a Virtual Shooter

Some Researchers Study Carbon Nanotubes -- and then there are these Guys. Thomas Wagner and his Students from Kaiserslautern University in Germany, Took an Oculus Rift Headset onto a Real Rollercoaster to Transform it, into a Virtual Experience. That's been Done before on the Sly but, the Group Teamed Up with Rollercoaster Builder Mack Rides and Created Several Apps for a Rift and Laptops. The VR "Ride" Apps were Synced to the Coaster's Motion by Tracking their Wheels and Using Human Monitors. They Sport Various Themes like a Wacky Flying Horse Chariot Ride, a Submarine Tour and a Space Shooter Complete with a Gamepad (See the Video, below). It's still a (Really Fun) Experiment but, the Coaster Maker and Researchers are Keen to Commercialize it at Some Point. In Case you were Wondering, the FAQ Shows that, the Headset Won't Fall Off, the Oculus Sensors Work in Extreme G-Forces and No, the VR Won't Make you Barf -- as Long as it's in Sync with the Ride.




Info Sources:

http://www.vr-coaster.com/index.php

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2014/08/29/oculus-rift-melds-with-a-real-life-roller-coaster-ride

http://vimeo.com/97972573

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VIDEO: Home-Made Vibrating Gloves, Train Your Finger Muscles to Touch Type

You Know What Can Teach you Braille and Piano a Lot More Quickly than Traditional Means ? Vibrating Gloves, or Gloves with Haptic Feedback, if you will. In Fact, IEEE Spectrum Senior Editor, David Schneider, was so Intrigued by the Idea that, he Put Together his Own Version to Serve as a Haptic Touch-Typing Tutor for his 11-Year-Old Son. He Admits that, his Gloves (Made Using Transistors, $14 Worth of Vibration Motors Purchased from eBay and Long Cords Connecting them to an Arduino Nano Board) Aren't as Sleek as Georgia Tech's Piano-Teaching Ones. But Hey, they Worked and Once he Created a Program to Go along with them, they did their Job Well Enough. Schneider's Program Displays 1 among the 100 Most Common English Words at Random on Screen -- it does so One Letter at a Time, Sending Vibrations to the Right Finger as the Letters Appear. Not Bad for Something he Merely Cobbled Together. But (as he Realized Later on), the Program would've been a Lot More Fun and Effective if it were More of a Typing Game than a Boring Digital Tutor.




Info Sources:

http://spectrum.ieee.org/geek-life/hands-on/diy-musclememory-programmer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZKo2RqXKr4

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"MSN Messenger" Will Finally, Definitely be Dead in October

Microsoft's 15-Year-Old MSN Messaging Service will Soon be a Part of Computer Lore. It has been Shut Down in Most Places for Over a Year but, Microsoft Kept it Running in China, Where it was still Quite Popular. However, with the Advent of Tencent's QQ, Line and Other Services, Redmond Recently Emailed Chinese Users (on their Hotmail Accounts, Naturally) that, the Service would Ride into the Sunset on October 31st. To Give you an Idea of How Old it is, the Service was Created in 1999 by Microsoft to Compete against AOL's AIM Chat Service (Disclaimer: AOL is Engadget's Parent Company). However, we Doubt Too Many Users will Get Misty-Eyed about its Demise -- the Only Nostalgia we Have is, How Difficult it was to Get Rid of.




Info Sources:

http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/29/6082199/msn-messenger-shutting-down-15-years-history

http://technode.com/2014/08/29/microsoft-messenger-shut-down-in-mainland-china

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US Researching Implants that'll Help Your Body and Mind Heal Itself

America's Mad Science Division is at it Again, this Time Imagining a Future Where your Body Won't Need (as Much) Medicine to Stay Healthy, Simply by Using the Resources it already has. Put Simply, a Person's Peripheral Nervous System Runs the Internal Organs and Summons the Troops to Fight Off Infections and Repair Injuries. DARPA's just Received $78.9 Million of Funding to Look into Harnessing this System to Develop a Miniscule Implant that'd Not Only Make People Healthier and Less Prone to Disease but, Could also be Used to Treat Mental Health Complaints like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Future. DARPA's Plan is to Build Implants No Thicker than a Nerve Fiber that Can then be Implanted into People's Bodies. Once there, the Devices would Monitor the Status of your Nervous System, Organs and Overall Health, Keeping the System Regulated by Triggering Responses through Electrical Impulses. In a Way, it's a Bit like Building a Pacemaker for your Central Nervous System, Except One that's Capable of Helping People Live with Complaints like Arthritis and Other Inflammatory Diseases.


According to Neural Engineer, Dr. Douglas Weber, the Eventual Goal is to Turn the Body into a "Closed-Loop System", that Continually Assesses itself, Ensuring that, as Soon as any Sickness is Detected in an Organ, the Body Can Quickly Deal with it. The Upside is that, Patients Won't Need to Take Medicines (which Can Have Adverse Side-Affects) because they'll Rely More upon their Super-Charged Immune Systems to Deal with Problems. Of Course, Even for DARPA, this is a Big Ask, since Current Neuromodulation Implants are Huge and Require Complex Surgery to Install and we Doubt that, the Technology will Shrink to Nerve-Fiber Sizes in just 5 Years. That Said, we'll be 1st in the Queue if this Ever Becomes Available - Afterall, we're Fairly Sure this is Almost the Plot of Jake 2.0.




Info Sources:

http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Releases/2014/08/26.aspx

http://www.defense.gov/pubs/2014JointFactSheet.pdf

http://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/read/darpa-is-developing-implants-that-can-heal-soldiers-bodies-and-minds?utm_source=motherboardfb

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Google Stops Showing Who Wrote What in its Search Results

Google Authorship is No More. It has Lived for Only 3 Short Years, from the Time Mountain View Launched it in 2011, Displaying People's Faces alongside Anything they've Written on a Website Tied to their Google+ Accounts. Yes, it Stopped Showing Author's Profile Pics Back in June, because the Company Wanted to Unify Mobile and Desktop Experiences and Authorship Snippets Take Too Much Space on a Phone's Screen. But Now, it's Officially Dead, Dead, Dead, with Google Webmaster Trends Analyst, John Mueller, Issuing its Death Certificate. See, People Haven't been Using it Enough and When they do, they Almost Always Miss a Step in the Set-Up Process, like Forgetting to Link Back to the Publishing Website on their Google+ Profiles.


According to Search Engine Land, in a Sample Group of 500 Authors across 150 Major Media Websites, only 151 had Set Up their Authorship Permissions Correctly. And it's Not Like they Lost Out by Not Fixing it -- the Tech Giant Didn't Even See any Significant Difference in Click-Throughs Whether a Search Result Comes with Authorship Snippets or Not. The Feature just Didn't Take Off Enough to Meet Google's Expectations so, it was Sent to the Chopping Block, just like Reader. Note that you Might still Come Across Some Authorship-Like Bits in your Search Results, though. Google still Shows Authors' Profile Pics beside their G+ Posts, so Long as they're in your Circles and you're Signed into your Account.




Info Sources:

http://searchengineland.com/goodbye-google-authorship-201975

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JohnMueller/posts/HZf3KDP1Dm8

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263.35 Gbps of Traffic Aimed at One Sony Server During DDoS Attack

A Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attack Hit Sony Servers on Sunday and the Hacker Claiming Responsibility for it, Says that, One Server was Crippled by 263.35 Gbps of Junk Traffic. News Broke that a Hacker Collective Going Under the Name of Lizard Squad, Directed a Large DDoS Attack against Sony Online Entertainment and PLAYSTATION Network Services. However, it Appears that, the Group’s Contribution to the Incident was to Merely Take Credit for the Deed and Bring More Attention to it by Tweeting a Bomb Scare to the Flight Carrying SOE's President, John Smedley from Dallas to San Diego. The Attack Seems to be the Act of a Hacker Known on Twitter as 'Fame' (@FamedGod), Who Came Back with a Vengeance Plan, Making Public the IP Addresses of Every Member of the Lizard Squad Collective. 'FamedGod' Tweeted that, they Pulled the DDoS by Abusing NTP (Network Time Protocol) Servers, which Blasted 263.35Gbps of Bad Traffic towards One Sony Server. In the 2nd Quarter of 2014, the Largest DDoS Recorded by Arbor Networks was of 325 Gbps. Verisign also Registered Values Peaking at 300 Gbps for the Same Time Frame; by Comparison, 263.35 Gbps is Far from Being a Light Blast. Soon after Launching the Attack, Users Started to Experience Issues on the PSN Service, being Signed Out Due to an Error (80710092) that Signaled Online Connectivity Problems.


According to Companies Offering DDoS Mitigation Solutions, Amplification Attacks Carried Out through NTP Servers, Have Become More Frequent in the 2nd Quarter of the Year. In the Case of the Sony Incident, 'FamedGod' Appears to Have Leveraged Vulnerable NTP Servers. “OMG my NTP Lists are dead already. Gotta scan for new ones”, a Tweet Says. A Report in May regarding the Number of NTP Servers Vulnerable to the “Monlist” Function Abuse, Informed that, 17,647 Machines still Needed to be Patched; Out of these, More than 2,100 were Capable of an Amplification of at least 700x. In a YouTube Video, the Hacker Explains that, the Attack was Possible because Sony Didn't Implement Sufficient Security Measures to its Network following the 2011 Incident, which Resulted in the Theft of Personal Details from about 77 Million User Accounts. 'FamedGod' Explains that, “jailbreaks can access hidden and prohibited content now” and that, the Address of the Attacked Server Could be Discovered by Decrypting a Memory Dump. “Memory dumping can reveal the hidden servers which personal and main information is stored. Simple hex converting and decryption lead to a full DDoS on PlayStations main server data center”, it is Said in the Video. A Good Example to Follow is Microsoft’s XBox Network, which Doesn't Operate on a Single Datacenter. The Twitter Feed of the Hacker also Contains a Post Saying that, Sony Could Task a Team with Monitoring Servers and Filtering the Bad Traffic from a DDoS Attack but, they Wouldn't Send the Money on this.




Info Sources:

https://twitter.com/FamedGod/status/503487835392204800

http://www.verisigninc.com/assets/report-ddos-trends-Q22014.pdf

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"MeetMe", Social Network Systems Breached

Hackers Managed to Gain Unauthorized Access to the Computer Systems of the "MeetMe" Social Network, Affecting an Undisclosed Number of Users. The Company Discovered that, the Intrusion Occurred between August 5 and 7, 2014 and that Information on a Number of Accounts had been Compromised. The Incident was Reported on August 15 but, it was Made Public at the Beginning of the Week, after Taking the Necessary Measures for Preventing such Events from Happening and After Notifying Users about the Intrusion and the Risks it Involved. According to the Announcement from "MeetMe", Details such as Usernames, Email Addresses and Passwords Have been Exposed to Individuals that Have Yet to be Identified. The Leaked Passwords Weren't Available in Plain Text as they were Stored in an Encrypted Form on the Affected Server. “For a period of time, the hackers may have been able to access the affected MeetMe accounts but, there is no evidence that they did so and they can no longer do so”, Said the Company in the Breach Report. Although Passwords were Stored Securely, the Company Advised the Affected Users to Change them in Order to Completely Eliminate the Threat of Account Hijacking.


Also, if the Countersign was Used for Logging into Other Services, Updating them for those Accounts is also Recommended. According to the Financial Information Provided by the Company for the 2nd Quarter of 2014, the Revenue Increased by 13% Compared to the Same Period Last Year, Reaching a Total of $10.7 / €8.08 Million. The Revenue from the Mobile Platform was Up by 114%, Compared to Q2 2013, being $5.6 / €4.228 Million and Representing More than Half of the Money Flow Recorded by the Company. As far as the Mobile Userbase is Concerned, "MeetMe" Reported in July that, they had Broken the Barrier of 1 Million Mobile Active Users on a Daily Basis. “It took us seven years to reach 800,000 mobile daily active users. It took us another 19 months to reach 900,000 users and then just six more weeks to reach one million users”, Said "MeetMe" CEO, Geoff Cook. “We believe our exciting pipeline of new features will continue to make MeetMe the best app for finding new chat partners”, he Added. The Company is Clearly on an Upward Trend, which Makes it a More Appealing Target for Cyberattacks. This Means that, Beefing Up Security Must be a Top Priority these Days.




Info Sources:

http://oag.ca.gov/system/files/MeetMe%20Announcement_0.pdf?

http://www.snl.com/irweblinkx/file.aspx?IID=4392695&FID=24703528

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VIDEOS: Photorealism in "Unreal Engine 4" in Real-Time: A Sneak Peek at Next-Gen Games Graphics

If you were Wondering What Kind of Graphics we Can Expect from True Next-Gen Games on the XBox One, PS4 and PC, Feast your Eyes on the Photorealistic Visual Wizardry of French Artist, Koola. Do Not Adjust your Screen: All of the Images and Videos that you See in this Story were Generated in Real-Time Using Unreal Engine 4 (UE4), at Decent Frame Rates (~30-60fps) on a Mid-Range Gaming PC. Koola’s Work, which was 1st Shared on the Unreal Engine Forums, Almost Entirely Revolves around UE4's Enhanced Lighting, including Lightmass Global Illumination. There are Undoubtedly Some High-Resolution (4K ?) Textures Involved, too and Koola Admits that, he Uses Some High Poly Counts for Some Models — but, for the Most Part I Think, we’re Mainly Ogling Some Delicious, Precompiled Light Maps. The Videos are Captured Straight from Koola’s PC, which Sports a Core i7-3770 CPU and GTX 670 GPU (i.e. a High-End Gaming Rig from 2013). Most of the Demos Run in the 50-60fps Range, with Some Dipping Down to 30. Except for the High Poly Counts, the Demos Aren’t actually All that Strenuous — but, it is Important to Note that, these Demos are Primarily Intended as Architecture Visualization (Archviz).


From the Outset, Koola was Trying to Recreate Scenes in UE4 that Have the Same Characteristic Photorealism of Ray-Traced Art — and I Think we Can All Agree that, he’s Succeeded. Whether Koola’s Efforts Can be Directly Transferred to Gaming, I’m Not Sure. Games Generally Have Many More (Dynamic) Objects On-Screen, which would Probably Necessitate Lower Poly Counts and Smaller Textures. Precompiled Light Maps Aren’t so Great When Objects Move Around a Scene, too (though UE4's Real-Time Lighting is Pretty Darn Good). In any Case, I’m Absolutely Certain that, we will See Some Absolutely Beautiful Games When Developers Finally Start Targeting New Engines like UE4 and New Hardware like the XBox One, PS4 and Modern PCs. Today, we are still Mostly Seeing Games that Target XBox 360- and PS3-Era Software and Hardware. After Treading Water for Almost a Decade, I Think the Next Year or 2 will Finally See a Massive Boost to Game Graphics. If the Videos here Haven’t Sated your Need for Next-Gen Graphics, Check Out our Collection of UE4 Demos — or, if you’re Feeling Sassy, How to Run UE4 Demos Directly on your PC.




Here's the Stunningly / Amazing Tech-Demos Showing Off, Unreal Engine 4 in Action - Enjoy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwEuSxAEXPA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAAPTiuFdwU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOkJ1-vnh-s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AMY7I_eHjk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrdNSzpFQxw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxy5DPSPL4w

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XBox One Now Offers Game Pre-Loading; Full-Game Demos on the Way

Microsoft Can’t Stop Releasing New Features for the XBox One. Hot Off the Heels of a Brand New System Update, News has Surfaced regarding 2 New Services Available for the XBox One: the Ability to Pre-Load Games before the Official Release and the Possibility of Time-Limited Demos of Full Games for Gold Members. Over on the XBox Store, a New Madden NFL 15 Pre-Order Page is Now on Display. If you Order the Game through this Page, you Can Download the Game to your Hard Drive before the Official Release Date. Of Course, you Won’t be Able to Play until After Midnight PT on August 26th. Both VALVe and Sony Have Similar Pre-Loading Mechanisms Available on their Platforms so, it’s Nice to See Microsoft Working Hard to Attain Feature Parity with the Competition. Microsoft Definitely Handled the Launch of the XBox One Poorly but, the Leadership Team has Bent over Backwards Post-Launch to Make Amends. Microsoft’s Latest Console still has a Lot of Issues but, the Entire Experience Continues to Improve at a Steady Clip. Even More Interesting is a Leaked Photo from a Reddit User by the Name of 'JBurton90'. This Rough Shot of a TV Screen Shows Max: The Curse of Brotherhood with a “Free Play Day with Gold” Label Plastered on it.


Presumably, this Means that, Gold Members will be Able to Play Select Titles for 24 Hours at No Additional Cost. Sony has a Very Similar Program Called, “Timed Trials” for the PS3 but that, Only Allows a Single Hour of Gameplay. The PS4 Doesn’t Even Have a Direct Analog of this Feature so, if this Turns Out to be True, Microsoft’s XBox LIVE Gold Program will Get a Nice Leg-Up on PLAYSTATION Plus. Well, at Least for a Short While. So, What Features does the XBox One Need to Better Compete with the PS4 ? For me, Cross-Buy, Cross-Play and Remote Play are Major Factors When I Decide which Platform to Buy a Game on. Since Microsoft Doesn’t Offer those Features in any Meaningful Way, I Lean towards Sony Platforms. For Example, I Recently Pre-Ordered Dragon Age: Inquisition on the PS4 specifically because I Knew I’ll be Able to Play it on my Vita When I’m Away from my Desk. If Microsoft Wants to Sell me on the XBox One, those are Some Must-Have Additions. What about you, though ? Which Features would Sell you on an XBox One ?

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"BitTorrent Sync" Lets You Share Folders on Your PC Using Web Links

Yes, Cloud Services like Dropbox Make it Easy to Share Folders through Public Directories and Links but, you still Have to Put those Folders in the Cloud in the First Place. Wouldn't you Rather Share them Straight from your PC ? BitTorrent Hopes to Make Things that Direct with its Big Sync 1.4 Update. Now, you Can Share Folders with Others just by Giving them Web Links; you Don't Have to Wait for the Files to Reach a Remote Server, or Rely on Sync's Slightly More Obtuse Key System. You Don't Have to Sign Up for an Account, either and you Can still Limit Access to Prevent Others from Messing with Precious Documents. About the Only Headache is that, your Recipient Needs Sync, although BitTorrent Promises that, it will Walk First-Timers through the Process. The v1.4 Release is also an Excuse for BitTorrent to Give Sync a Much-Needed Interface Makeover. While a Lot of the Basic Concepts Remain Intact, the New Front End is Both Prettier and Easier to Understand on Macs and Windows PCs -- Arguably Very Important When People are More Likely to be Trying Sync for the 1st Time. You Can Grab the Desktop Upgrade (which includes Linux) Right Now and Matching Updates for Both Android and iOS should be Ready Later Today.




Info Source:

http://blog.bittorrent.com/2014/08/26/introducing-bittorrent-sync-1-4-an-easier-way-to-share-large-files

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8TB Hard Drives Have Arrived

We're Sorry to Break the Bad News but, that 5TB Hard Drive you Bought Last Week ? Yeah, it's Already Obsolete. Seagate has Started Shipping the First-Ever 8TB Desktop Hard Disk, Doubling the 4TB Capacities that Seemed Huge just a Couple of Years Ago. If it's Any Consolation, though, this Machinery Isn't Ready to Go Inside your Hot Gaming PC. Right Now, All those Terabytes are Destined for Data Centers Where Capacity Trumps Every Other Concern; Seagate Isn't Mentioning Prices but, Enterprise-Class Storage is Rarely Cheap. You May Want to Set Aside Some Money All the Same. These Extra-Roomy Drives Have a Tendency to Filter Down to the Mainstream Pretty Quickly so, you May Soon Have More Free Disk Space than you Know What to do with...at Least, for a Little While.




Info Sources:

http://www.seagate.com/about/newsroom/press-releases/Seagate-ships-worlds-first-8TB-hard-drives-pr-master

http://9to5mac.com/2014/08/26/seagate-announces-massive-8tb-hard-drive-for-bulk-data-storage

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Imagination Technologies Will Give its "Raspberry Pi on Steroids" Away for Free

Grab Someone in the Street and Ask them about Imagination Technologies and they're More Likely to Run Away than Tell you that, it's the Company that Designs the Graphics Chips for Apple's Mobile Devices. The Company is More than just the Home of PowerVR, however and Bought MIPS in Order to Become a Direct Rival to ARM, its More Famous UK Chip-Design Neighbor. Now, the Company has Decided to Produce a Raspberry Pi-Style Development Board in the Hope of Taking MIPS Mainstream, Describing it as "Raspberry Pi on Steroids". Aside from the Differences in Hardware and Chip Architecture between the 2 Devices, there's One Big Change in Approach: Imagination Technologies is Giving its Board Away for Free. The Romantically-Named MIPS Creator CI20 is a Barebones Board that's Capable of Running Linux Distros like Debian 7, as well as, Android 4.4 and Measures 90.2mm by 95.3mm.


The Hardware is Packing a 1.2GHz MIPS32 CPU, 1 GB RAM and a PowerVR SGX540 GPU - the Same GPU that is Used Inside Google Glass, Kindle Fire, Razr I and Galaxy Tab 3 7.0. Combining that Graphical Prowess with Dedicated Video Controllers that'll Support 1080p at 60fps Makes the CI20 Ideal as a Barebones HTPC, Something the Company Takes Great Pains to Point Out. There's also 8GB of On-Board Storage and a Full-Size SD Card Reader, a Step Up from Both the BeagleBone Black and the Pi Model B+. Connectivity-Wise, in Addition to the Usual Ethernet Port, the CI20 also Comes with Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, as well as, 2 Full USB Ports and a HDMI-Out Port.


Of Course, you're Probably Itching to Find Out How to Get Hold of One of these for Precisely Zero Money but, it Won't be as Simple as Fluttering your Eyelashes in the Direction of its Kings Langley HQ. The Company is Asking that, you Sign Up on its Online Store (it's in the Source Link) to Register, Offering Up Both your Personal Details, as well as, the Details of the Project you're Planning to Develop -- for Instance, a Nice HTPC -- with the Hardware. The Company will then Work with you to Garner Feedback from your Projects in the Hope of, at Some Point in the Future, Selling a Future Variant in the Same Way as the Raspberry Pi is Now.


UPDATE: Unfortunately, the Sheer Volume of Requests has Already Caused Imagination's Website to Collapse. The Company has Asked that, Hopeful Users Should be Patient and Hold Off for a Little while until Everything's Up and Running Again.




Info Sources:

http://blog.imgtec.com/powervr-developers/new-mips-creator-ci20-development-board-for-linux-and-android-debuts

http://store.imgtec.com/product/mips-creator-ci20

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Amazon's Original Shows Will Stream in 4K, Starting this October

Earlier this Year, Amazon Said that, its 2014 Original Series Lineup would be Shot and eventually Streamed in 4K to Samsung UltraHD TVs and Now we Know When -- Sometime this October. It was Samsung that actually Revealed the Date, Saying it would Support Amazon's Prime Instant Video UHD Streaming on Most Samsung 4K TVs. There's No Word if Amazon's 4K Service will Hit Other Manufacturer's UltraHD Models but, Samsung Noted it has also Expanded 4K Content in Europe to Netflix, Wuaki.tv, Chili and Maxdome. Like Sony, Samsung has Other Plans to Make Sure you're Not Wasting All those Pixels, as well. It Recently did a Live 4K Stream of a Placido Domingo Opera in Europe and Released a 500GB Drive with 40 Recent 4K Movies and Documentaries.




Info Source:

http://global.samsungtomorrow.com/?p=40034

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"BioShock" Arrives on iOS with a Heavy Price Tag

It Took 2K Games a Little Longer than Originally Expected but, the Publisher has Finally Released its iOS Version of the Original "BioShock". The Mobile Version of the Popular Title is Compatible with Newer iPhones and iPads, which Means you're Out of Luck if you Have, Say, an Aging 4S Handset or an Older Tablet from Apple. Naturally, you Can Expect a Familiar Storyline so, be Ready to Shoot a Lot of Weird-Looking Creatures. For those of you Looking Forward to it, just be Prepared to Pay a Premium -- BioShock for iOS is a Whopping $15 on the App Store. There are No In-App Purchases in Sight, however, Meaning that, you'll Get the Full Game Experience from the Get Go, rather than Having to Buy Add-Ons here and there.




Info Source:

https://itunes.apple.com/app/bioshock/id871629757?mt=8

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Researchers Working on Nanobots that Directly Attack Tumors to Cure Cancer

For All the Advancements we've Made with Technology and Medicine, a Cure for Cancer still Eludes us. But, Maybe that's because we Haven't Enlisted Nanoparticles to Attack Tumors just Yet. New Research from the University of California's Davis Cancer Center, Spotted by PhysOrg, suggest that, Could be a Reality Sometime Soon. By Attaching a Tumor-Recognition Module to a Nanorobot, Doctors would be Able to Both Diagnose a Cancerous Growth and Inject Drugs Directly into the Carcinoma. This would Effectively Target Only the Malignant Cells and Leave the Surrounding Areas Unharmed -- Taking Things a Few Steps further than, Say, the Nanodiamonds we've Heard of. It's a Stark Contrast to How Chemotherapy Treatment Typically Works, too, which is a Blanket Attack on All of a Certain Type of Cell that Often Inflicts as Much Collateral Damage as it does Good. Who Knows, a World Where Cancer Patients Don't Have their Hair or Bone Marrow Destroyed during Treatment, Might Not be Too Far Off Afterall.




Info Sources:

http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/140826/ncomms5712/full/ncomms5712.html

http://phys.org/news/2014-08-cancer-hunting-nano-robots-tumours.html

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Harmonix's, "Chroma" Announce Trailer

In 2014, Harmonix Announced, "Chroma", a New Gameplay Experience that Looked to Completely Reimagine the Classic First-Person Shooter Formula, Infusing Fast-Paced PC Shooter Action with Music Gameplay. The Concept: Music is your Weapon, Sound is your Arsenal. Harmonix Tested an Early Version of this Exciting, Innovative Concept in a Private Closed Alpha and Received Feedback from Thousands of Players Who were Excited by this Groundbreaking Take on Both Shooter and Music Gameplay. The Development Team has already Started Prototyping New Directions for the Game Based on the Most Successful Mechanics. The Studio Looks Forward to Sharing More with Players Down the Line, as "Chroma" Evolves in New Directions.




Here's a "Announce" Trailer for "Chroma" :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QZhsTRk-ic

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Canadian Cable Giants Launch a Netflix Rival

Canucks Don't Have Much Choice for Streaming Video Services. Netflix is the de Facto Pick and its Canadian Division's Selection (Historically Smaller than in the US) Isn't Going to Satisfy Everyone. However, Cable Giants, Rogers and Shaw, Think they Have a Better Option for Some Viewers -- they've just Unveiled, "Shomi", a Mostly TV-Focused Service that Might Have a Few Aces Up its Sleeve. The Offering Blends Automatic Recommendations with Handpicked Selections; if you're Looking for Nothing but Comic Book Adaptations or Movies with Dating Disasters, you May Have an Easier Time Finding What you Want. "Shomi" is also Leaning Heavily on Exclusive Deals for Past Seasons of Big TV Shows like Modern Family, New Girl and Sons of Anarchy so, it May be your Best Bet if you're Looking for a Hulu Plus Equivalent. The Service will Initially Work on Mobile Devices, the Web, XBox 360 Consoles and Cable Set-Top Boxes When its Public Beta Test Launches in the 1st Week of November. Naturally (if Unfortunately), Rogers and Shaw Customers will Have 1st Crack. The Pricing is Definitely Competitive at $9 Canadian per Month, although you May Not Want to Chuck any Existing Subscriptions just Yet. While "Shomi" will Have 340 TV Series and a Strong Dose of Canadian Content (30%), it has just 1,200 "Cult-Classic and Fan-Favourite" Movies -- if you Want to Watch a Recent Blockbuster, you're probably Better Off Sticking with Netflix for Now.




Info Sources:

http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1402576/shomi-what-i-m-missing-new-streaming-service-to-deliver-superior-user-experience-and-most-popular-content-to-canadians-this-fall

http://shomi.com/ComingSoon

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VIDEO: 'Cypher' Wins QuakeCon 2014 Yet Again, With Amazing Comebacks Against 'DaHanG'

Last Week was a Proud One for Titan, as Alexei 'Cypher' Yanushevsky Became the Winner of the QuakeCon 2014 Duel Masters Invitational. Having had a Shaky Start in the Group Stage, Beating Sergey 'Evil' Orekhov but Losing Out to Both Last Year’s Winner Shane 'Rapha' Hendrixson and 2012 Finalist Tim 'DaHanG' Fogarty, 'Cypher' Narrowly Advanced through to the 2nd Day Playoffs. Once there, however, Yanushevsky Took Down 4 Opponents in Quick Succession, Showing Amazing Form by Not Dropping a Single Map. In a Rematch Not Only of the Group Stage but, for the 1st Time in QuakeCon History also a Rematch of an Earlier Year’s Finals, 'Cypher' Once mMore Went Up against 'DaHanG' for the Duel Masters Title. But, just as in the 2012 Finals, 'Cypher' Yet Again Managed to Defeat the American, this Time with a Decisive 3:0 Map Score on Aerowalk, Toxicity and Lost World. This Victory also Marked a Record Breaking 4 QuakeCon Consecutive Wins for Yanushevsky, Making him the Most Successful Quake Live Champion to Date.




Watch the Amazing QuakeCon 2014's Grand Final with 'Cypher' vs 'DaHanG', right here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD6WStCFnGk

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Apple Makes its Mobile Ads Bigger, Longer, More in Your Face

Next Time you're Playing a Favourite Game on your iPhone and iPad, a Huge Ad -- or Worse, a Minute-Long Video Roll -- Might Take Over the Screen. iAd Platform's Full-Screen Interstitial Banner and Pre-Roll Video Ads, which were 1st Announced Earlier this Year, are Now Available to Developers. The Full-Screen Ads Appear as Transitional Screens, Say, Whenever you Reach the End of a Game Level, while the Video Ads Come in 15, 30 and 60-Second Variants. These are Already Available on Other Ad Platforms, of Course but, iAds were Typically More Unobtrusive, just Banners that you Can Click on to Launch Advertisers' Websites. As you'd Expect, these New Options will Cost Developers a Lot More Money. But, if Apple does Unleash an iPhone with a Much Larger Screen (Possibly this September), then these Ads Might just be Worth their Cash.




Info Sources:

https://developer.apple.com/iad/resources/Implementing-iAd-in-Your-iOS-Apps.PDF

http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/08/26/apple-rolls-out-full-screen-interstitial-pre-roll-video-iads

http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/26/6071891/apples-ios-ads-are-about-to-take-over-your-whole-screen

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JPMorgan and Other US Banks, Reportedly Hit by Cyberattack

A Bloomberg Report Claims that, JPMorgan Chase and "at Least" 4 More Banks in the US Have been Victims of a Virtual Attack from Hackers. The Data Gathered from the Breach Could Reportedly "be Used to Drain Accounts", according to 2 Bloomberg Sources Who Have been Briefed on the Situation by the US Government. At the Moment, it is Unknown which Other Banks were Affected by this but, the FBI has already Opened an Investigation and is Currently Working to Find Out More Details. "[We are] working with the United States Secret Service to determine the scope of recently reported cyberattacks against several American financial institutions", Said the FBI in a Statement. Meanwhile, a Different Report from CNN Money Notes that, 7 of the "Top" 15 Banks were on the Wrong End of these Attacks, per People Familiar with the Matter -- though such Information Hasn't been Corroborated by US Officials. "Companies our size unfortunately experience cyberattacks nearly every day. We have multiple layers of defense to counteract any threats and constantly monitor fraud levels", Explained a JPMorgan Spokesperson, Adding that, the Bank Hasn't Yet Detected Any Sort of Unusual Fraud Activity. Regardless, there are still a Lot of Unanswered Questions Right Now but, we'll Keep you Updated as Additional Details Come to Light.




Info Source:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-27/customer-data-said-at-risk-for-jpmorgan-and-4-more-banks.html

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VIDEO: Leap Motion's Next Sensor is Designed Specifically for VR

Virtual Reality has Made Huge Strides in Headgear Recently but, Developers are still Grappling with Control. How do we Interact with an Artificial World in a Natural Way ? There are Plenty of Devices to Answer this: Gamepads, the Sixense Stem System and Even Purpose-Built Game Controllers -- but, the Folks at Leap Motion Think they Have a Better Solution: just Use your Hands. Independent Developers Have been Strapping Leap's Motion Controller onto the Oculus Rift since Almost Day 1 but, Application Isn't Consistent. Leap Motion Wants to Fix that and has Announced that, its Both Creating a VR Mount for its Existing Hardware and Building a New Sensor specifically for Virtual Reality. "We're not releasing this to make money", Leap CEO, Michael Buckwald, Said of the VR Developer Mount, "but, to solve a problem that a lot of developers run into -- which is a consistent way to use the leap with VR". Buckwald Says that, VR Projects Using Leap Vary in Application: Some Mount the Device on Headgear, Others Place it on a Nearby Table. It Creates a Kind of Chaos, an Inconsistent Experience across Leap-Supported VR Projects. By Introducing a Standardized Mount, Buckwald Hopes to Make All Leap-Based VR Consistent. To Help Facilitate this, the Company is Pushing a Massive Update to its Beta SDK, Enabling Native Top-Down Tracking and Giving Developers Direct Access to the Leap Sensor's Raw Image.


I Dropped by the Company's San Francisco Office, to See What this Looked like and was Surprised to Find Myself Looking at the World in Black and White. The Current Generation Leap Motion Devices is Powered by Infrared Cameras -- Hardware that Allows it to Track Human Limbs in a Dark Room but, Strips the Image of Color and Fine Detail. Wearing a Leap-Equipped Oculus Rift is a Lot like Stereoscopic Wearing Night-Vision Goggles. While this Experience is Novel in its Own Right, the Experience Came to Life When I Looked at my Hands: Rather than Seeing a Virtual Representation of my Digits Rendered on a Computer, I was Looking at my Actual Fingers, Overlaid with a Skeletal Wireframe. It's the Same Software that Powers Leap's V2 Motion Tracking but, the Overlay of Reality Flipped a Switch -- it was Instantly Clear that, I was Now in a Virtual Space that had the Same Human Input Paradigm as Normal Reality. The Software Demo itself Contained Very Little (just a Collection of Floating Objects that Wafted Around in Reaction to my Waving Arms) but, the Potential was Obvious. Still, the Novelty of the Infrared Image would Make a Poor Augmented Reality Experience, which is Why Leap is Looking to the Future: a New Motion Sensor it Calls, Dragonfly.


Dragonfly is Similar to it Existing Sensor but, Outfitted with High Definition RGB / Infrared Combo Cameras. Buckwald Strapped me into a Prototype Unit and the Difference was Immediately Apparent: the New Sensor had the Same 10 Finger Tracking, First Person Hand Tracking, but Now, in Full Color. That Sensor too, has Tons of Potential but, you Won't be Able to Buy One. "This is not something we're selling", Buckwald Explains, "but, something we're demoing to OEMs to embed in VR devices". It's Not a Product itself but, a Potential Part of a Future Product. The CEO Wouldn't Say Who the Sensor is being Shopped around to but, we Wouldn't Rule Out the Obvious Parties - a Best Case Scenario for Leap would See this Technology Embedded in the Consumer Versions of the Oculus Rift, Project Morpheus or Both. That Vision, however, is still Ways Off; for Now the Company is Focusing on Getting the Current Hardware's VR Developer Mount in the Hands of Content Creators. Interested in Creating Some First-Person, Hand Tracking VR ? Leap Says, the Kit will be Available Started Today on its Online Store for $20.




Info Sources:

http://blog.leapmotion.com/leap-motion-sets-a-course-for-vr

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ATQG9mnm34

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Apple is Reportedly Unveiling its Wearable Device on September 9th

If you Ask Many Pundits When Apple will Unveil its Often-Rumored Wearable Device, Many of Them will Say October. However, we May Have to Revise those Expectations a Bit. Recode's Sources Now Claim that, Apple will Unveil the Gadget on September 9 -- you Know, the Same Day that Many Expect to See at Least One New iPhone. There's Little to Back the Claim at this Point Beyond the Site's Reputation for Accurate Leaks but, the Timing Makes Sense Given that, the iPhone and the Mystery Wristwear are Expected to Work Virtually Hand-in-Hand. As for Actual Technical Details ? Besides the Expected Fitness and Home Automation Support, there Isn't Much More to Say -- Most Likely, you'll Have to Wait a Couple More Weeks to Get the Full Scoop.




Info Source:

http://recode.net/2014/08/27/codered-apple-plans-to-announce-wearable-in-september

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NASA's Massive Space Launch System Rocket, is Slated for a 2018 Launch

Upstarts like SpaceX Might Get Most of the Attention but, Let's Not Forget that NASA -- you Know, the Folks Who actually Put 12 Guys on the Moon -- Isn't Done Pushing to Explore the Heavens just Yet. Case in Point: the Agency is Working on a Whopper of a Rocket Called (Unimaginatively Enough) the Space Launch System, that'll eventually Propel a Manned Orion Capsule in Mars' Direction and Officials just Green-Lit that Massive Booster for Development. The Formulation Phase is Over Folks, Time to Build this Crazy Thing. There is, however, a Downside. You See, the SLS was Originally Slated to Make its 1st Official Test Flight with an Uncrewed Orion Capsule in December 2017 but, it's Looking at this Point like that Inaugural Launch will actually Take Place Nearly a Year Later. Yeah, we Can Hardly Wait either but, it was Going to be a Long while before All the Development and Infrastructure Fell into Place Anyway -- NASA Associate Administrator, Robert Lightfoot, Reaffirmed in a Statement that, we Won't be Flinging Humans at the Red pPlanet until the 2030s. Think you Can Beat that, Mr. Musk ?




Info Source:

http://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/august/nasa-completes-key-review-of-world-s-most-powerful-rocket-in-support-of-journey-to/index.html#.U_5rnku5bYs

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VIDEO: IBM Lets Scientists Pay to Play with its Thinking Supercomputer

IBM's Watson Promises to Usher in a New Era of "Cognitive Computing" but, so Far, All the System has Demonstrated is a Knack for Game Shows. Now, however, IBM has Announced Watson Discovery Advisor, a Cloud-Based Service that'll Enable Researchers to Harness those Smarts to do More than Put Ken Jennings Out of a Job. Using the Platform, Scientists Can Ask Watson Natural-Language Questions, Sending the System to Scour Every Publicly Available Research Paper Ever Written in Every Available Field. Digesting this Information, Watson is then Able to Identify Connections that, it Would Have Taken a Lifetime for a Person to Find, which Promises to Accelerate the Speed of Scientific Discovery. In One Instance, the Baylor College of Medicine Used Watson to Crunch 6 Years Worth of Cancer Protein Research into "a Matter of Weeks". Now, All we Need to do is Scrape Together the Cash to Ask the Supercomputer the Ultimate Question...




Info Sources:

http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/ibmwatson/discovery-advisor.html

http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/44697.wss

http://venturebeat.com/2014/08/27/ibm-finally-opens-up-its-watson-supercomputer-to-researchers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qry_zGZFjOc

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Microsoft Now Lets You Record Gameplay with XBox One SmartGlass

Microsoft has been Working Hard to Make "XBox One SmartGlass" More Useful and Appealing for Users and it's Doing a Great Job so Far. The Most Recent Update to the App, however, May just be its Best Yet. Most Notably, you Can Now Record XBox One Game Clips Directly from the SmartGlass Application, Making the Process Easier for Gamers Who, for Example, Have a Kinect-Less Console. In Addition to that, you Can Use the App to View your Profile's Activity Feed, Post Status Updates on it and Share Stuff that Pops Up there. New TV and OneGuide Features are here as well, although those had been Available Previously in Beta on Some Devices. Speaking of which, perhaps the Nicest Part of this Refresh is that, Microsoft is Doing it Across the Board -- the Revamped "XBox One SmartGlass" is Available for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.




Info Sources:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/xbox-one-smartglass/id736179781?mt=8

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.xboxone.smartglass

http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/xbox-one-smartglass/a1a67817-26e6-482a-b673-e3e906d27a4e

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Neuroscience Proves Nobody Likes CGI

Cinema Screens are Huge, which is Odd, because the Eye Can Only Focus on a Small Portion of What's in Front of it at Any One Time. That's What Prompted the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to Team Up with Eye-Tracking Firm, Tobii and Neuroscientists from Birkbeck, University of London. The Trio Embarked upon a Project to Determine Where in the Movie People Concentrated their Gaze. Then, by Using Tobii's Hardware, were Able to Create a Heat Map that Can be Overlaid on the Frame, Much in the Same Way that SMI Analyzes Sports Matches. The Conclusions from the Research Aren't Particularly Surprising but, does Confirm a Long-Held Suspicion that People's Innate Ability to Detect and Ignore Fakery Hasn't Diminished, Even in an Era of Photo-Realistic CGI. Analyzing a Scene from Iron Man 2 with Director Jon Favreau, he Commented that, the Audience's Attention was Directed Straight towards those On-Screen Moments with Practical Action.


That is, People Totally Blanked the Huge Sweeping Vistas of "Monaco", (in Fact, a Car Park in Downey, California), the River and the Crowds. Instead, they Focused on Things that were "Real", like Gwyneth Paltrow's Face*, Mickey Rourke's Body and the Model F1 Car that was Blown Up for the Scene. "Everything that you're looking at is real and everything that you're not looking at is fake." Perhaps this will Help Convince Directors that Practical, Old-School Effects are Worth Investing in and will Turn the Tide against Glossy, Unrealistic CGI. It's an Issue that Favreau is Wrestling on his Forthcoming Remake of The Jungle Book, Saying that, the Reason that Motion Capture Films -- like The Polar Express and The Adventures of Tintin -- Don't Work, is that, the Uncanny Valley Make Faces Too Unbelievable. That's Why he's Going to be Using Real Actors' Heads to Help his Audience Not Feel Too Unsettled. If you're Curious to See the Videoclip with Heat Map and Commentary, it's the 1st One Down at the Source.


*No Jokes, Now.




Info Sources:

http://www.wired.com/2014/08/how-movies-manipulate-your-brain

http://www.oscars.org/events/movies-brain/index.html

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"Quake Live" Makes Newbie-Friendly Changes in Latest Update; People Get Mad

In Advance of Quake Live's Debut on Steam, the Game has Undergone a Major Update that Changes Some Fairly Fundamental Aspects of Play. Players May Now Choose which Primary and Secondary Weapons they Spawn with, Visual Item Timers Have been Added and an Automated Form of Strafe-Jumping has been Implemented. The Changes are All Intended to Make the Game More Welcoming to Newcomers and as you Might Predict, Not Everyone is Happy about them. "Quake is a masterful game of skill, often compared to Chess by its veteran players. However, with that depth has come a challenge to welcome and capture new players long enough for them to discover the joy to be found in what many consider the finest Deathmatch game ever made", the Quake Live Team Wrote in a Message Posted Yesterday. "For new players, it has been quite clear what the greatest barriers are: effectiveness on spawn, movement and item control. These elements on several levels also make our game great so, we wanted to see what could be done to make the game a more enjoyable experience, all while teaching players a bit of the meta-game depth." The Full List of Changes is Detailed in the Previous Post about the QL Update and it's Pretty Extensive, including a New Weapon, Various Rule Changes, a Higher-Resolution Font and Widescreen HUD Support and the Removal of the Chaingun and Nailgun from "Several" Arena Maps.




But the Changes that Seem to be Attracting the Most Attention are the Ones Related to the Aforementioned "Barriers", specifically:

- Players may now hold forward and jump to 'bunny hop', allowing them to slowly gain up to 2x their base movement speed.

- Introduced Loadouts in select modes; allowing players to select one Primary Weapon (hmg, rl, lg, rg) and one Secondary Weapon (sg, gl, pg, mg).

- Added in-world item timers for "major" items, including armors, megahealth, power-ups and medkit




There's been Some Positive Reaction to the Changes but, there's an Awful lot of Unhappiness too. Some Players are Upset that, the Update Ignores What they See as More Pressing Problems in the Game, while Others Assert that, they Diminish its Skill-Based Nature; at Least One Poster Said, it will Ultimately do More Harm than Good by Leaving New Players Unprepared for the Demands of Other, Less Accommodating Arena Shooters they Might Encounter at Some Future Date. It is actually Possible to Stick to the Old-Fashioned Way of Doing Things, More or Less. "For players who wish to largely avoid the new major changes, the legacy style of play has been preserved within a 'Classic' ruleset", the Developers Wrote. "All of our public Duel servers run in Classic mode. Subscribers may host additional classic servers using our 'Create Match' feature. This includes the launching of Standard Classic servers, which any player may freely join." Even so, the Majority of Forum Posters Seem Solidly Set Against the Update. But, is it Really that Bad — is Quake Live Really Being "Ruined", as so Many Posts Insist — or is it Much Ado about Nothing ? We Won't Know for Certain until it's had Some Time on Steam to Build Up a New Audience (or Not) but, I'm Rather Strongly Inclined to Think (and Certainly Hope) that it's the Latter.

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Software Vulnerability Patching is Far Too Slow and Leaves Users at Risk

Security Holes and Vulnerabilities are to be Expected but, Not Enough is Being Done to Patch Holes Quickly Enough. This is the Conclusion of Heimdal Security Who Conducted Analysis of Software Vulnerabilities. The Security Firm Found that, while Security Problems are on the Increase, Companies are Failing to Keep Pace and Issues Remain Unaddressed for Too Long. It's Something that Hackers are Taking Advantage of and User Data is Being Left at Great Risk. Heimdal Security Found that, between 60 and 90% of Attacks from Hackers Take Advantage of this Fact. A Number of Key Culprits are Singled Out for Particular Attention -- Names that will be Familiar to Most: Oracle Java Runtime Environment, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Adobe Flash Player and Apple QuickTime. The Biggest Offender, by Quite Some Margin, is Java Runtime Environment, Blighted by 48 Vulnerabilities in 2012, a Staggering 180 in 2013 and 90 so Far in 2014. According to CVE Details, the Average Severity Rating for All of the Vulnerabilities Found in Each of the 4 Products. Using the CVSS (Computer Vulnerability Severity System), which Rates Issue Severity on a 1 to 10 Scale, the Average Rating is 7.8 for Java -- and that's the Best of the Bunch. Adobe's 2 Products were Rated 9.2.


So, What is Being Done to Address the Issues as they are Detected ? Not Enough. CEO of Heimdal Security, Morten Kjaersgaard, Says: "Considering the severity and mass of security flaws we see in software released by key vendors, you may think that security gaps should be closed faster. However, our data actually indicates that it can take as many as 12 months between patches for Apple Quicktime to be released". Despite the Huge Number of Security Holes Detected in its Software, Oracle Pumps Out an Update Once Every Couple of Months on Average. Adobe and Apple Fare just about as Badly. All of these Products are still Widely Used. In Fact, QuickTime is actually Almost 3 Times as Popular Now as in 2012. But, while Apple's Media Player May Only be Installed on 33% of Computers, the 2 Adobe Products and Java Runtime are Found on More than 80% of Systems. Heimdal Security Points Out that, this is Particularly Worrying as Some 27% of Emails Contain Malicious URLs which Exploit Known Software Vulnerabilities. What is perhaps More Troubling is that, it is Business Systems that Have been Used in the Studies. The Figures May be Slightly Different for Home Computers but, it is Business Systems that House the Most Sensitive Data in the Greatest Quantities.




Info Sources:

https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/slow_software_vulnerability_patching

http://www.cvedetails.com

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"EVE Online Hyperion" Launched + "Features" Trailer

CCP Announces the "Hyperion" Update is Now Live in EVE Online, Adding New Content to the Space-Based MMORPG. The Patch Notes Have Details on this, as well as, a Version 1.1 Patch that Followed to Fix a Couple of Issues. You Can Find More on this Feature Page and the Developer Blogs on this Page and this Video below, Offers a Look.




Here's Word:


"Hyperion brings other changes to EVE, including more ship and module balancing, improved UI like sharable overviews and tooltips, new cybernetic arms and “retro” headwear and the opening of planetary colonies in null security space to those outside the sovereign alliances that control them. Hyperion follows Crius as the third update in a major shift for EVE development, from two expansions per year to around 10 releases annually, as CCP delivers more content, more frequently, to its legendary player-base. Hyperion is available free to all EVE Online subscribers and trial users."




Info Sources:

http://community.eveonline.com/news/patch-notes/patch-notes-for-hyperion

http://community.eveonline.com/releases/hyperion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGVN3ObA6Ic

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"Diablo 3" v2.1.0 Patch Update, Now Live

With Today's Maintenance Complete, Battle.net Announces that, the Long-Awaited Version 2.1.0 Patch for "Diablo 3" is Now Live, Bringing a Wide Range of Changes, as well as, New Features to the Action / RPG Sequel. That Post has the Complete Official Patch Notes and to Celebrate the Release, Blizzard also Announces an Additional Bonus for those Who Play the Windows and OS X Editions for the Coming Week:


"Patch 2.1.0 is now live in the Americas! To celebrate the arrival of this major content update, all players who log into Diablo III this week on Windows or Mac will not only receive a +100% bonus to Gold Find, but all Treasure Goblin spawns in the game have been doubled ! (As with our previous buff, please note that the Gold Find bonus will stack multiplicatively with existing bonuses including those provided by items and Paragon points.) This bonus Gold Find and double Treasure Goblin period begins in the Americas region today, August 26 and ends on Tuesday, September 2, at 11:59 p.m. PDT."




Info Sources:

http://us.battle.net//d3/en/blog/15487814

http://us.battle.net//d3/en/blog/15487813

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