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Submission + - AMD Continues To Pressure NVIDIA With Lower Cost Radeon R9 270 and BF4 Bundle (hothardware.com)

Submitted by MojoKid
MojoKid writes: The seemingly never-ending onslaught of new graphics cards as of late continues today with the official release of the AMD Radeon R9 270. This mainstream graphics card actually leverages the same GPU that powered last-year’s Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition. AMD, however, has tweaked the clocks and through software and board level revisions updated the card to allow for more flexible use of its display outputs (using Eyefinity no longer requires the use of a DisplayPort). Versus the 1GHz (GPU) and 4.8Gbps (memory) of the Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition, the Radeon R9 270 offers slightly lower compute performance (2.37 TFLOPS vs. 2.56 TFLOPS), but much more memory bandwidth--179.2GB/s vs. 153.6GB/s to be exact. AMD and its add in board partners are launching the Radeon R9 270 today, with prices starting at $179. The Radeon R9 270’s starting price is somewhat aggressive and once again puts pressure on NVIDIA. GeForce GTX 660 cards, which typically performed lower than the Radeon R9 270 are priced right around the $190 mark. Along with this card, AMD is also announcing an update to its game bundle, and beginning November 13 Radeon R9 270 – R9 290X cards will include a free copy of Battlefield 4. NVIDIA, on the other hand, is offering Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Assassins Creed – Black Flag, plus $50 off a SHIELD portable gaming device with GTX 660 and 760 cards.

Submission + - Porn Surfing Execs Infecting Corporate Networks With Malware (securityweek.com)

Submitted by wiredmikey
wiredmikey writes: According to a recent survey of malware analysts at U.S. enterprises, 40% of the time a device used by a member the senior leadership team became infected with malware was due to executives visiting a pornographic website. The study, from ThreatTrack Security, also found that nearly 6 in 10 of the malware analysts have investigated or addressed a data breach that was never disclosed by their company.

When asked to identify the most difficult aspects of defending their companies' networks from advanced malware, 67% said the complexity of malware is a chief factor; 67% said the volume of malware attacks; and 58% cited the ineffectiveness of anti-malware solutions.

Submission + - AMD Confirms Kaveri APU is A 512 GPU Core Integrated Processor (hothardware.com)

Submitted by MojoKid
MojoKid writes: At APU13 today, AMD announced a full suite of new products and development tools as part of its push to improve HSA development. One of the most significant announcements to come out the sessions today-- albeit in a tacit, indirect fashion, is that Kaveri is going to pack a full 512 GPU cores. There's not much new to see on the CPU side of things — like Richland/Trinity, Steamroller is a pair of CPU modules with two cores per module. AMD also isn't talking about clock speeds yet, but the estimated 862 GFLOPS that the company is claiming for Kaveri points to GPU clock speeds between 700 — 800MHz. With 512 cores, Kaveri picks up a 33% boost over its predecessors, but memory bandwidth will be essential for the GPU to reach peak performance. For performance, AMD showed Kaveri up against the Intel 4770K running a low-end GeForce GT 630. In the intro scene to BF4's single-player campaign (1920x1080, Medium Details), the AMD Kaveri system (with no discrete GPU) consistently pushed frame rates in the 28-40 FPS range. The Intel system, in contrast, couldn't manage 15 FPS. Performance on that system was solidly in the 12-14 FPS range — meaning AMD is pulling 2x the frame rate, if not more.

Submission + - AMD Announces Server and Data Center Optimized Developer Software For APUs (hothardware.com)

Submitted by MojoKid
MojoKid writes: AMD is banking big on a heterogeneous server future, one where CPUs and GPUs work in unison to offer unparalleled performance. AMD calls this magic HSA, or heterogeneous system architecture. To aide developers for the future of HSA, AMD has been working with a couple of developers to release tools that are going to make the transition to CPU+GPU computing easier. Project Sumatra, for example, is a joint project between AMD and Oracle which will allow Java developers to take advantage of GPU compute, while GCC/HSA is the fruits of AMD working with SUSE to enable OpenMP APIs to work with the popular Linux compiler. Other updated software includes PGI Accelerator Compiler (OpenACC directives for C, C++ and Fortran under Linux and Windows), clMath (AMD OpenCL math libraries hat take advantage of APUs) and CodeXL 1.3, AMD's updated developer suite for Windows and Linux.

Submission + - NVIDIA Launches GeForce GTX 780 Ti, More Powerful Than GeForce GTX Titan (hothardware.com)

Submitted by MojoKid
MojoKid writes: NVIDIA just launched their latest new, top-end graphics card dubbed the GeForce GTX 780 Ti. The card shares the same 3GB frame buffer of the original GeForce GTX 780, but on the Ti it is clocked at a much higher speed. The Ti’s GK110 GPU also has all of its functional blocks enabled, unlike the GTX 780. In short, the GeForce GTX 780 Ti is a GeForce GTX 780 with faster memory and a GPU that’s more powerful than NVIDIA's previous flagship, the GeForce GTX Titan. The GTX 780 Ti GPU has a base clock of 875MHz and a Boost clock of 928MHz. Unlike the GK110 on the Titan, however, all of the GPU’s SMs (Streaming Multiprocessors) are enabled on the GTX 780 Ti, which brings the card’s CUDA core count to 2880, up from Titan’s 2688. In the benchmarks, its beefier GPU and higher memory clock allowed it to overtake the GeForce GTX Titan and original GeForce GTX 780. And in the majority of tests, the GeForce GTX 780 Ti was also able to outpace AMD's Radeon R9 290X as well.

Submission + - Nexus 5 with Android 4.4 and Snapdragon 800 Challenges Apple A7 In Benchmarks (hothardware.com)

Submitted by MojoKid
MojoKid writes: One of the hallmark features of Google's Nexus 5 flagship smartphone by LG isn't its bodaciously big 5-inch HD display, its 8MP camera, or its "OK Google" voice commands. That has all been done before. What does stand out about the Nexus 5 is Google's new Android 4.4 Kit Kat OS and LG's SoC (System on Chip) processor of choice, namely Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 quad-core. Qualcomm is known for licensing ARM core technology and making it their own; and Qualcomm's latest Krait 400 quad-core along with the Adreno 330 GPU that comprise the Snapdragon 800, is a powerful beast. Google also has taken the scalpel to Kit Kat in all the right places, whittling down the overall footprint of the OS, so it's more efficient on lower-end devices and also offers faster multitasking. Specifically memory usage has been optimized in a number of areas. Couple these OS tweaks with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 and you end up with a smartphone that hugs the corners and lights 'em up on the straights. Putting the Nexus 5 through its paces, it turns out preliminary figures are promising. In fact, the Nexus 5 actually was able to surpass the iPhone 5s with Apple's 64-bit A7 processor in a few tests and goes toe to toe with it in gaming and graphics.

Feed Engadget: Nexus 5 torn down, easily put back together again (engadget.com)

From feed by feedfeeder
There are few things worse than doing a full product teardown, only to find that, well, you're not likely to get that thing back in one piece anytime soon. By all accounts, however, it was pretty smooth sailing for the folks at iFixit when they took the new Nexus 5 to the surgical whitebox (one ...

Submission + - AMD and NVIDIA Go To War In Q4, Radeon R 290 Launched (hothardware.com)

Submitted by MojoKid
MojoKid writes: There is little love lost between team Red and team Green, when it comes to 3D graphics cards, but AMD and NVIDIA seem to be engaged in an even more vicious volley of attacks on each other's business as the holiday shopping season approaches, and consumers will ultimately be the benefactor. Recently NVIDIA responded to AMD's Radeon R9 290X launch with a massive price cut on their GeForce GTX 780 card, dropping it by a full $150 to $499. Today, AMD is back at it again with the launch of the Radeon R9 290, a lower cost ($399) derivative of the R9 290X with a few stream processors disabled. However, just before launch, AMD delivered a driver drop and a clock speed boost, such that the new $399 Radeon R9 290 performs a lot more in line with NVIDIA's $499 GeForce GTX 780. In the benchmarks, the two cards trade victories depending on the game engine at play. However, for a full $100 less, it's clear AMD is not going to lose the battle on price. On the flip side, AMD's new Hawaii GPU-based cards do run hotter and a little louder than NVIDIA's flagship GPUs.

Submission + - Global warming 'pause' may last for 20 more years (dailymail.co.uk)

Submitted by schwit1
schwit1 writes: The 17-year pause in global warming is likely to last into the 2030s and the Arctic sea ice has already started to recover, according to new research.

A paper in the peer-reviewed journal Climate Dynamics – by Professor Judith Curry of the Georgia Institute of Technology and Dr Marcia Wyatt – amounts to a stunning challenge to climate science orthodoxy.

Not only does it explain the unexpected pause, it suggests that the scientific majority – whose views are represented by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – have underestimated the role of natural cycles and exaggerated that of greenhouse gases.

Submission + - When 64-bit Isn't The Answer: Diving Into Apple A7 3DMark Performance (hothardware.com)

Submitted by MojoKid
MojoKid writes: Apple's new A7 SoC that sits at the heart of the iPad Air and iPhone 5S is a fast chip. Benchmarks and analysis have shown that it picks up its additional performance thanks to a mixture of architectural tweaks and, in some cases, its new 64-bit architecture. On average, the gains are split about 60/40 between the two areas, with more performance gains from the microarchitecture enhancements. But in one notable case — the popular 3DMark Ice Storm cross-platform benchmark — this hasn't been true at all. In 3DMark Ice Storm, the iPhone 5S is significantly faster in GPU workloads — almost 3x as fast in fact but its CPU performance is actually slightly slower than the A6, as measured in the Physics test. The iPad Air shows exactly the same performance issue, only its CPU is clocked faster than the iPhone 5/5S, and shows a small improvement as a result. Moving the code to 64-bit improved the A7's performance by about seven percent. The difference, it turns out, is tied to the open source Bullet physics library that 3DMark Ice Storm relies upon for testing CPU performance. While this doesn't dramatically change how the iPhone 5S ranks in 3DMark, it shows how the advantage of a big change (32-bit to 64-bit) can actually be much smaller than the impact of a low-level optimization that better matches how a CPU best performs a task.

Submission + - Microsoft Admits Windows 8.1 Update May Bork Your Mouse, Promises a Fix (hothardware.com)

Submitted by MojoKid
MojoKid writes: Microsoft has several valid reasons why you should upgrade to Windows 8.1, which is free if you already own Windows 8. However, there's a known issue that might give some gamers pause before clicking through in the Windows Store. There have been complaints of mouse problems after applying the Windows 8.1 update, most of which have been related to lag in video games, though Microsoft confirmed there are other potential quirks. Acknowledging the problem, Microsoft says it's also actively investigating the issues and working on a patch.

Submission + - Megan Fox Cameo in Call of Duty: Ghosts Trailer, Ol' Blue Eyes On Soundtrack (hothardware.com)

Submitted by MojoKid
MojoKid writes: Frank Sinatra was one of the coolest singers singers to have ever lived and I refuse to debate this. Megan Fox is a 27-year-old actress who's easy on the eyes and may have a fine career ahead of her if she picks more movies like Transformers and less flicks like Johah Hex. What happens when you pair the two with a live action trailer for Call of Duty: Ghosts? You get a catchy video tease with Megan Fox shoving aside suitors to shoot down drones with a handgun and Frank Sintra's classic "Ol' Blue Eyes is Back" providing the suave soundtrack. It's a triple dose of cool (Frank Sinatra's voice, Megan's beauty, and CoD: Ghosts' action) all wrapped neatly in a 1 minute and 44 second video clip. CoD: Ghosts is the tenth main installment in the wildly popular CoD franchise and the sixth developed by Infinity Ward. It comes out in two days (November 5, 2013) for PC (with better graphics), PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U. It will also be the first CoD game available for the upcoming PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles later this month.

Submission + - Google's Nexus 5 with Kit Kat Jump Out On Halloween (hothardware.com)

Submitted by MojoKid
MojoKid writes: Google has a Halloween treat of its own to announce. The much anticipated Nexus 5 smartphone built by LG is finally available and with it comes the new build of Google's open source OS, Android 4.4 KitKat. In fact, the Nexus 5 is the first device to unwrap KitKat. You can grab the Nexus 5 in either white or black, and in 16GB or 32GB capacities. What the Nexus 5 brings to the smartphone arena is a 4.95-inch display with a 1920x1080 resolution (445 ppi), Gorilla Glass 3, 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with Adreno 330 GPU clocked at 450MHz, 2GB of RAM, 1.3MP front-facing camera, 8MP rear-facing camera with optical image stabilization, 3.5mm audio jack, micro USB port, dual microphones, ceramic power and volume buttons, dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, NFC (Android Beam), Bluetooth 4.0 LE, SlimPort, 4G LTE support, and a 2,300 mAh battery good for up to 17 hours of talk time and up to 300 hours of standby time.

Submission + - Google Nexus 5 Posts Best Gaming Benchmark Among Android Smartphones (hothardware.com)

Submitted by MojoKid
MojoKid writes: Rumors around the what and when of Google’s upcoming Nexus 5 smartphone have been plentiful, and ahead of the supposed release date on Halloween, a benchmark score for the handset has slipped out from Rightware, and it’s downright impressive. According to Rightware’s Power Board, the Nexus 5 delivered the second-highest Benchmark X gaming score among smartphones, behind only the iPhone 5S, making it the most powerful Android-based handset in the land. The LG-made phone shares a GPU (the Adreno 330) with the third-place Sharp Aquos SHL23 but bested the latter handset with a score of 14.27 to 13.10. A leaked user manual revealed that the Nexus 5 will boast a full HD 4.95-inch display, Snapdragon 800 processor (2.3GHz), 2GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB of onboard storage, and 8MP rear-facing and 1.3MP front-facing cameras.

Submission + - Taiwan Protests Apple Maps That Show Island As Province Of China (itworld.com)

Submitted by itwbennett
itwbennett writes: Taiwan is demanding Apple revise its mapping software and remove a label that describes the island as a province of China, rather than as a sovereign state. The complaint was lodged after local media reports said that users on the island had noticed the change in Apple's latest iOS and Mac OS versions. 'The maps don't acknowledge Taiwan as its own nation. We voiced our disapproval, and hope Apple will make the change,' an official with Taiwan's foreign ministry said Wednesday. This isn't the first time such a mistake was made. Google also labeled Taiwan as a Chinese province in 2005.

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