| Anonymous Takes On Supplier of Military, Police Equipment Posted: 29 Dec 2011 03:04 PM PST  Anonymous seems to be moving up in the world. After attacking a global security research firm earlier this week, elements of Anonymous have now announced that a hack from a few months ago the compromised SpecialForces.com, a seller of equipment to the military and law enforcement. As per the usual pattern, the stolen data is now available online.
As confirmed by Special Forces Gear, the owner of SpecialForces.com, Anonymous managed to grab 14,000 usernames/passwords, and possibly 8,000 encrypted credit card numbers. The attack happened in August, but Anonymous is only drawing attention to it now. Special Forces Gear claims that the database compromised by Anon is a backup from a year-old version of the website. The new site does not store data in the same way, they say. Following the breach, Special Forces Gear made all users change passwords, and the credit card numbers are apparently mostly expired by this point. Still, there is sure to be some useful data that the owners certainly never expected to get out. Special Forces Gear has hired third-party consultants to make sure these shenanigans don't happen again, but there are plenty of other vulnerable sites for Anonymous to take on. |
| Kindle Sales Topped 4 Million in December Posted: 29 Dec 2011 02:42 PM PST  Amazon is usually light on details when discussing Kindle sales, but this time we've been granted a bit more data on the holiday season. According to Amazon, the online retailer moved 4 million Kindle devices in the month of December. Additionally, eBook gifting shot up 175%. After all, you can't give a Kindle without including a few books.
The numbers for individual Kindles were not broken down further. So we don't know how much of that 4 million was accounted for by the $200 Kindle Fire, and how much was the $79 Wi-Fi only eInk Kindle. Although, Amazon has said that the Fire is the most gifted product on the site. At any rate, Kindle sales broke records this holiday season. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos commented in a statement that this explosion is good for authors as well. He explained that the #1 and #4 best selling eBooks on Amazon were published by independent authors using the Kindle Direct Publishing system. Did you give or get a Kindle this year? |
| Verizon To Charge Online Bill Payers $2 "Convenience Fee" Posted: 29 Dec 2011 11:05 AM PST December hasn't been the best month for Verizon Wireless customers. First, the company's 4G data networks have been acting up (and dropping out) seemingly every other day, and if that wasn't enough of an inconvenience, now there's this interesting tidbit: after years of encouraging customers to pay their cellular bills online, Verizon has pulled an abrupt 180-degree turn and now plans to charge customers a $2 "Convenience Fee" (doublespeak alert!) if they pay online or over the phone. Yep, starting January 15th, the priciest cellular option around is getting a wee bit pricier. 
Users can sidestep the extra charges if they sign up for a monthly automatic withdrawal, or if they pay using a gift card or a paper/electronic check rather than a credit or debit card. It makes sense that Verizon wants to firm up its income by arranging automatic withdrawals for as many customers as possible, but charging users who don't use the service an extra fee just seems utterly ridiculous, especially on top of the company's expensive plans. Droid Life broke the news with a leaked memo that outlined the plans, and they've posted screenshots (like the one above) of the documents on their website, if you're interested in reading fine print. Thoughts? |
| Yellow Slime Mold May Hold Key To Intelligent Bio-Computers Posted: 29 Dec 2011 10:41 AM PST  Quantum computing isn't the only nifty next-gen PC advancement scientists are all a-flutter about; there's plenty of attention being focused on intelligent bio-computers made from organic materials, too. A Japanese scientist by the name of Toshiyuki Nakagaki thinks that he's found just the organism that can make it possible, too: amoeboid yellow slime mold. That's right, the nasty goop covering downed trees and leaves is actually a pretty intelligent little bugger that could one day be designing transportation routes and electrical grids. Man, science is cool – and weird.
The simple slime mold shows a simple sort of information processing in the way it finds food. The organism is able to identify and move in an optimized path towards its food sources, a path that avoids stress-inducing stimuli – such as light and temperature changes -- while otherwise reaching the target as directly as possible. Even modern day computers can't choose optimized paths as efficiently as slime mold, another researcher – Atsushi Tero of Kyushu University – told AFP. "Computers are not so good at analysing the best routes that connect many base points because the volume of calculations becomes too large for them," he says. "But slime molds, without calculating all the possible options, can flow over areas in an impromptu manner and gradually find the best routes… They can even create networks that are resistant to unexpected stimulus." In Tero's slime mold studies, the icky organism naturally created a railway pattern that is remarkably similar to the existing rails found in the Kanto region of Tokyo, which is kind of exciting – in a gross way. Other scientists think that slime mold could help us better understand the way the human nervous system works. I for one, plan on welcoming our new hyper-efficient slime mold overlords with open arms. |
| Superphones Show Up in Leaked Windows Phone Roadmap Posted: 29 Dec 2011 08:31 AM PST  If you thought 2011 was a busy year in the mobile handset market, just wait until you see what's in store for 2012. The battleground is quickly becoming a lot more competitive and will include Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) handsets from Google and its partners, probably an iPhone 5 model with a slightly larger screen, and the introduction of so-called "superphones."
A leaked Windows Phone roadmap posted on WMPowerUser.com provides some insight into Microsoft's future plans, and if the roadmap is correct, Microsoft will launch superphone models in the fourth quarter of 2012. There doesn't exist a universal textbook definition of what exactly a "superphone" is, and credit goes to Google for coining the term during the launch of its Nexus One. But what you can expect from a true superphone is a larger than average screen with a high definition resolution, a high quality camera, and at least a dual-core processor, if not a quad-core chip. Basically, a superphone should be a step above today's best smartphones. Getting back to Microsoft's roadmap, the Redmond outfit is planning to release "products with the best prices" in the second quarter of 2012 before attacking the high end in Q4. Image Credit: wp7connect.com |
| LG to Roll Out 84-inch 3D Ultra Definition TV at CES 2012 Posted: 29 Dec 2011 08:09 AM PST  Apparently LG has some big plans for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next month. Literally. LG on Thursday announced plans to unveil the world's largest 3D Ultra Definition (UD) TV, an 84-inch monster of a screen with Smart TV functions and an insanely high 3840x2160 screen resolution, all wrapped in a relatively slim bezel.
"LG is pushing the limits of home entertainment innovation with this 3D UD TV," said Havis Kwon, President and CEO of LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company. "We are bringing together all our Smart TV and 3D knowledge in the 3D UD TV in order to demonstrate to the CES audience that LG is committed to being the world's leading brand for immersive home entertainment in 2012 and beyond." LG's 84-inch TV boasts 8 million pixels and four times the resolution clarity of existing Full HD TV panels. Viewers will be able to adjust the 3D effect using LG's 3D Depth Control, and the imbedded 2D to 3D conversion engine means you can reload those home videos in 3D. On the Internet-connected side, LG's Smart TV ecosystem consists of over 1,200 apps, of which you can browse with your voice using LG's new Magic Remote. In addition to voice control, the Magic Remote supports three other command inputs: Wheel, Magic Gesture, and Point. Image Credit: LG |
| HP's Compaq LE2002xm Monitor is 20 Inches of Affordable Real Estate Posted: 29 Dec 2011 07:37 AM PST  Maybe your budget doesn't allow for a 30-inch IPS monitor, especially after the holiday shopping season left us all a little lighter in the wallet. Or perhaps you don't have room for a ginormous panel, or a strong enough videocard to drive a super high screen resolution. On the other end of the spectrum is Hewlett-Packard's new Compaq-branded LE2002xm monitor, a 20-inch LED backlit LCD display priced at an even $155.
Compact and affordable, there are concessions that go beyond the small screen size. There's no HDMI port and it's native resolution is 1600x900, short of Full HD, but perhaps sufficient for a secondary display or a monitor for the kids. And if we're justifying the resolution, would you really want to cram 1920x1200 or 1920x1080 pixels on a 20-inch screen? HP rates the viewing angle at 170 degrees horizontal and 160 degrees vertical. The LE2002xm has a 5ms response time, 250 cd/m2 brightness, 3,000,000:1 contrast ratio (dynamic), and DVI-D and VGA connectivity inputs. Somewhat surprisingly, HP managed to shove a set of integrated stereo speakers into the LE2002xm. Granted integrated speakers rarely sound great, but at 155 bones, it's a nice addition. The LE2002xm is available now. Image Credit: Hewlett-Packard |
| Danger Den Announces Flagship DD-M6 CPU Block Posted: 29 Dec 2011 07:17 AM PST  Live fast and play hard. That's the sort of motto you'll find exemplified in old school water cooling circles, the ones where wielding a pre-built kit or self-contained liquid cooler might earn you a wedgie. There's a certain satisfaction that comes from building your own water cooling setup, just as there is with building your own PC, and it's a market still being served by folks like Danger Den, which just announced the release of its highest performing CPU waterblock to date, the DD-M6 CPU Block.
"Danger Den released a CPU block that we are proud of. Improved performance, built like a tank, and almost 100 percent produced in the US. The Top Plate, Mid Plate, Hold Down Plate, Hold Down parts are all machined in our facility or within 50 miles of Danger Den," said Jeremy Burnett, Danger Den's President. "The hold down package has been significantly improved for the LGA 2011 socket and previous socket versions. It looks great and makes the mounting process simple for the consumer." The DD-M6 CPU Block replaces the MC-TDX, a long running favorite that now takes a backseat to a newer, better performing, and more reliable model, according to Danger Den. It also sports a new and improved mounting system. Pricing starts at $75 for the non-plated brass version and $80 for the nickel-plated model. Both will be available for LGA2011 sockets beginning January 2, 2012, with AMD versions to follow in two weeks. Image Credit: Danger Den |
| Buyer Insight: Newegg Reveals List of Best Selling Products During Holiday Shopping Season Posted: 29 Dec 2011 06:58 AM PST  Newegg, the second largest online-only retailer in the U.S. (Amazon is No. 1) and the go-to vendor for many do-it-yourself (DIY) system builders, provided a bit of rare insight into its operations by announcing its best-selling computer components and consumer electronics products this holiday shopping season. The list is broken down by category and includes sales starting on Black Friday on November 23, 2011 and continuing through December.
The top selling notebook was a 15.6-inch A53E-EH91 from Asus, a rather pedestrian machine with an Intel Pentium B950 processor, 4GB of memory, and a 320GB hard drive spinning at 5400 RPM. Other top selling products include: - Televisions: Sceptre 32-inch 720p LCD HDTV
- Videogames: Microsoft Xbox 360 250GB Holiday Bundle with Halo Reach and Fable 3
- Digital Cameras: Panasonic Lumic DMC-FZ47K 12.1MP
- Software: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit
- Monitors: Acer G235HAbd 23-inch LCD
- CPUs/Processors: Intel Core i5 2500K
- Motherboards: Asus P8Z68-V PRO
- Hard Drives: Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB 3.5-inch HDD
- Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL 8GB (2x4GB)
- Videocards: EVGA GeForce GTX 550 Ti
Newegg called it a "strong" holiday shopping season with "year-over-year growth in both Web traffic and sales," but declined to offer any specific figures. "The increase in spending is a positive sign that the economy is slowly but surely improving and we look forward to this trend continuing in 2012," said Dr. S.C. Lee, CEO of Newegg North America. According to comScore, online holiday spending in the U.S. reached $35.3 billion this year, up 15 percent versus 2010. U.S. consumers spent $2.8 billion online in the week leading up to Christmas day alone, which itself is a 16 percent increase compared to the same period last year. |
| NajmTek to Showcase Dual-Screen U-Book Laptop at CES 2012 Posted: 29 Dec 2011 05:39 AM PST Another edition of the Consumer Electronics Show is nearly upon us. You can look forward to seeing all sorts of products at the event. Not all of these products will be from established names, but there will also be a few first timers trying to wow attendees with their products. San Jose-based NajmTek is one such startup. The company plans to showcase a dual-screen laptop at the event.
The U-Book, as it is called, features a second, multi-touch screen in addition to the regular display. Even though virtual keyboards usually don't make for the greatest typing experience in the world, NajmTek is hoping that the numerous customization options associated with the "keyboard" screen will be enough to convince prospective buyers. The second screen can be used to display a number of keyboard layouts (supports a number of languages) and can also accommodate a virtual trackpad if the user wants. What's more, the multi-touch screen can even be customized to act as something other than a keyboard (like a virtual piano or mixing console). All we know about the device at this stage is that it runs Windows 7. We will obviously have to wait until the official unveiling of the actual product at CES for more details. |
