NVIDIA announces all-new Shield -- a 4K Android TV game console for $199
Xbox One? PlayStation 4? Yesterday's news. Today, NVIDIA disrupts the console market with the all-new Shield gaming console. While not a gaming console in the traditional sense, it is instead a 4K Android TV media box with extreme graphics performance.
How has NVIDIA pulled off such a thing? By utilizing its new Tegra X1 chip, it can outperform all other TV media boxes. Guess what? It is 35 times more powerful than an Apple TV! Can it really compete with Microsoft and Sony? At $199, absolutely.
Hulu gains new Disney Junior kids shows in its lineup
If you're looking to cut the cord you have an increasing number of choices including Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu Plus. There are less known options as well, of course, but the big three will give you most of what you want, including original content from each and Hulu's TV shows the day after they air on broadcast networks.
Now the service is expanding once again, this time adding to its children's content. The new shows are being provided by Disney Junior and include the popular Doc McStuffins, Handy Manny and Bunnytown. These join a lineup already stuffed with classics such as Sesame Street and many others.
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Watch the NVIDIA GDC 2015 announcement here live -- Gamers, grab the popcorn!
If you are a game developer, the Game Developers Conference is where you want to be. Why? It is a gathering of some of the world's best developers; you are lucky to call these people peers. The event is more monumental for gaming fans, however, as there will be countless amazing announcements coming from it.
Unfortunately, not everyone can make the trip to San Francisco this year. Don't get down on yourself bro; who needs to travel to California, when you can see the most important announcement from GDC live from your home? That's right folks, NVIDIA will be making a big announcement and BetaNews is getting you a front row seat. Grab some popcorn, relax and watch the stream.
System76 unveils diminutive Broadwell-powered Meerkat Ubuntu Linux desktop
Buying a Linux-based PC usually means purchasing a Windows machine and replacing the OS with your favorite distro. While there is nothing terribly wrong with this practice, you are arguably paying for a Windows license that you will never use. In other words, the manufacturer is including the Windows fee into the overall cost. Not to mention, many Linux fans do not like Microsoft, and would prefer to not support the company. I am a Linux fan, but I like Microsoft products too.
Luckily, there are some manufacturers that make pure Linux-based computers, with one of the most popular being System76. This company manufacturers computers exclusively with Ubuntu. Today, the company teases a new small form factor PC -- reminiscent of Intel's NUC -- called Meerkat.
What the FREAK? Huge SSL security flaw stems from US government backdoor
Seven hours is all it takes to crack the encryption that is in place on some supposedly secure websites. Security experts blame the US government's ban on the use of strong encryption back in the 1990s for a vulnerability that has just come to light. Named FREAK (Factoring attack on RSA-EXPORT Keys), the flaw exists on high-profile websites including, ironically, NSA.gov.
Restrictions that limited security to just 512-bit encryptions were lifted in the late 90s, but not before it was baked into software that is still in use today. The ban on the shipping of software with stronger encryption apparently backfired as it found its way back into the States. Security experts say the problem is serious, and the vulnerability is relatively easy to exploit.
Qualcomm challenges Apple's fingerprint sensor tech with new Touch ID rival
Fresh from a few big mobile announcements at MWC, Qualcomm has announced a new fingerprint sensor technology to compete with Apple’s Touch ID.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sense ID is a new technology using ultrasonic waves to create a 3D fingerprint of the user, offering more depth than Touch ID, which uses an area-type capacitive 2D fingerprint.
7 ways to maximize your Android and Apple contacts
I’m sure you all know that your smartphone contacts app has long been essential for storing contact information, but while storage is its typical use, Android and Apple devices contacts are not limited to that function.
There are several nifty tricks you can use to lever the full potential of your contacts list. Here are seven of the best.
iPhone 6 and Surface Pro 3 win at MWC 2015 Global Mobile Awards
MWC 2015 has seen all manner of exciting smartphones, tablets, wearables and other goodies, but the event is not solely about brand new products. It's also a chance to look back on the past year and reflect on the highlights. Today Microsoft and Apple were among the companies picking up gongs for their products.
Both were to be found in the prestigious Best Mobile Handsets and Devices section. Apple's iPhone 6 shared the best smartphone award with the LG G3, and Microsoft Surface Pro 3 picked up the prize for best mobile tablet. Plenty of other awards were handed out in recognition of innovative technology products.
Will the Galaxy S6 help Samsung challenge Apple once more?
On the surface, Samsung’s position as the world’s second largest smartphone vendor seems formidable. The firm’s mobile division posted profits of £1.1 billion for the fourth quarter of last year and its most recently released flagship phone, the S5, has sold more than 12 million units worldwide since its launch.
However, all is not well with the South Korean technology giant.
Essential NetTools: 15+ networking tools in one free suite
Troubleshooting network problems can be a nightmare, even for Windows experts, but equipping yourself with the right software can make all the difference.
As we wrote last month, NetCrunch Tools is a useful collection of common network management tools, an easier way to access old standards like Ping and Traceroute.
Pebble unveils higher-quality Time Steel -- lower-cost alternative to Apple Watch
The upcoming Apple Watch looks beautiful, but it has some problems. The most apparent is the cost; rumors are pegging it to start around $350, skyrocketing much higher, depending on the materials you choose. Plus, battery life may be problematic, causing daily or multi-day charges.
The biggest downfall to the Apple Watch, however, is that it is tied to iOS; it will not work on Android, which limits its market. A good alternative is Pebble, as its watches are cross-platform and offer extremely long battery life. The recently-announced Pebble Time has a color screen, but still looks a bit cheap. No worries, as the Pebble Time Steel is here, featuring prettier materials and giving Apple something to worry about. The best feature? Battery life up to 10 days!
Google reneges on its promise of encryption by default for Lollipop devices
Not wanting to be outdone by Apple, when it was announced that iOS 8 would encrypt data by default, Google felt compelled to follow suit. Back in September Google said that in Lollipop "encryption will be enabled by default out of the box, so you won't even have to think about turning it on". But six months is a long time, and it now seems that Google has had a change of heart.
Well, as noted by Ars Technica, many of the Lollipop handsets appearing at MWC 2015 -- including the Samsung Galaxy S6 -- do not have encryption enabled. Of course there is nothing to stop users from manually enabling it, but that's not really the point; the idea was that you "won't even have to think about turning it on". So what gives?
Monitoring third-party security is a major concern for enterprises
A new study carried out by Forrester Research for security rating company BitSight Technologies reveals that third-party security has become a major concern for enterprises.
The results show that when it comes to tracking third-party risk, critical data loss or exposure (63 percent) and the threat of cyber attacks (62 percent) rank as the top concerns. These come above standard business issues, including whether the supplier could deliver the quality of service they were contracted for.
DDoS attacks have major impact on service providers
A majority of service providers have experienced some form of DDoS attack and have experienced loss of revenue or customers as a result.
This is among the findings of a new report by security and DDoS protection specialist Black Lotus. Only 16 percent of service providers said they'd rarely or never experienced a DDoS attack whilst 35 percent are being hit by one or more attacks each week.
Embed Twitter-hosted videos on your own site with new widget
It just became a whole lot easier to embed Twitter-hosted videos on websites. A newly launched widget makes it possible to add the video from a tweet to a website without the need to embed the entire tweet. It's a neat-looking solution that makes it simple to embed videos without unnecessary, distracting page furniture.
It works in just the same way as embedding an entire tweet, and it provides a way for Twitter to drive traffic back to its own site rather than other video services, whilst simultaneously making life easier for embedders and helping to pull in followers from other sites.