1Password for iOS Gets Extension Improvements for Faster Logins

iOS: 1Password for iOS got an update today that drastically improves the extension and makes it easier to use 1Password with other apps. It’s now about as feature-packed as the desktop extension. Read more…

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1Password for iOS Gets Extension Improvements for Faster Logins

"It’s Not My Job to Plug Things In," and Other Nightmare IT Stories

We asked for the worst stories you had about working in IT. You rose to the challenge and then some. We may need to wipe and reboot our brains to recover from these. Read more…

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"It’s Not My Job to Plug Things In," and Other Nightmare IT Stories

NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX TITAN X Becomes First 12GB Consumer Graphics Card

Deathspawner writes: When NVIDIA announced its GeForce GTX TITAN X at GTC, no one was surprised that it’d be faster than the company’s previous top-end card, the GTX 980. But what did impress many is that the company said the card would sport a staggering 12GB of VRAM. As Techgage found, pushing that 12GB is an exercise in patience — you really have to go out of your way to come even close. Additional reviews available at PC Perspective and AnandTech. The latter notes, “…from a technical perspective, the GTX Titan X and GM200 GPU represent an interesting shift in high-end GPU design goals for NVIDIA, one whose ramifications I’m not sure we fully understand yet. By building what’s essentially a bigger version of GM204, heavy on graphics and light on FP64 compute, NVIDIA has been able to drive up performance without a GM204-like increase in die size. At 601mm2 GM200 is still NVIDIA’s largest GPU to date, but by producing their purist graphics GPU in quite some time, it has allowed NVIDIA to pack more graphics horsepower than ever before into a 28nm GPU. What remains to be seen then is whether this graphics/FP32-centric design is a one-off occurrence for 28nm, or if this is the start of a permanent shift in NVIDIA GPU design.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX TITAN X Becomes First 12GB Consumer Graphics Card

Windows 10 Enables Switching Between Desktop and Tablet Modes

jones_supa writes: In Windows 8, you were trapped in either the Modern UI or using the desktop, and going back and forth between the two worlds was cumbersome. Windows 10 takes a hybrid approach, allowing the user to choose between a classic desktop and a full-screen mobile experience. The feature, which has been developed under the name “Continuum, ” is now simply called “Tablet mode”. In the build 9926 of Windows 10 Technical Preview, switching between the modes can finally be tried out. The leaked build 10036 shows that eventually you will also have the option to automate the process for dockable devices. Since Windows 10 is being positioned as the one OS for all of Microsoft’s devices, being able to control the desktop and tablet experiences like this is critical to appeasing the consumer. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Windows 10 Enables Switching Between Desktop and Tablet Modes

Linux 4.0 Getting No-Reboot Patching

An anonymous reader writes: ZDNet reports that the latest changes to the Linux kernel include the ability to apply patches without requiring a reboot. From the article: “Red Hat and SUSE both started working on their own purely open-source means of giving Linux the ability to keep running even while critical patches were being installed. Red Hat’s program was named kpatch, while SUSE’ is named kGraft. … At the Linux Plumbers Conference in October 2014, the two groups got together and started work on a way to patch Linux without rebooting that combines the best of both programs. Essentially, what they ended up doing was putting both kpatch and kGraft in the 4.0 Linux kernel.” Note: “Simply having the code in there is just the start. Your Linux distribution will have to support it with patches that can make use of it.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Linux 4.0 Getting No-Reboot Patching

Intel Updates NUC Mini PC Line With Broadwell-U, Tested and Benchmarked

MojoKid writes Intel recently released its latest generation of NUC small form factor systems, based on the company’s new low-power Broadwell-U series processors. The primary advantages of Intel’s 5th Generation Core Series Broadwell-U-based processors are better performance-per-watt, stronger integrated graphics, and a smaller footprint, all things that are perfectly suited to the company’s NUC (Next Unit of Computing) products. The Intel NUC5i5RYK packs a Core i5-5250U processor with on-die Intel HD 6000 series graphics. The system also sports built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 and USB 2.0, M.2 SSD support, and a host of other features, all in a 115mm x 111mm x 32.7mm enclosure. Performance-wise the new 5th Gen Core Series-powered NUC benchmarks like a midrange notebook and is actually up for a bit of light-duty gaming, though it’s probably more at home as a Home Theater PC, media streamer or kiosk desktop machine. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Intel Updates NUC Mini PC Line With Broadwell-U, Tested and Benchmarked

VLC Acquiring Lots of New Features

jones_supa writes: Two weekends ago an update for VLC media player was shared during a presentation in Brussels at FOSDEM. Lead developer Jean-Baptiste Kempf covered VLC’s continued vibrant development, as well as features that are coming for VLC 2.2 and VLC 3.0. VLC 2.2.0 will feature automatic, GPU-accelerated video rotation support, extension improvements, resume handling, support for new codecs/formats and rewrites to some of the existing formats, VDPAU GPU zero-copy support, x265 encoder support, etc. Further out is VLC 3.0.0, which is planned to have Wayland support, GPU zero-copy support for OpenMAX IL, ARIB subtitle support, HEVC / VP9 hardware decoding on Android, a rework of the MP4 and TS demuxers, and browsing improvements. The VLC FOSDEM 2015 presentation is available in PDF form. The VLC Git shortlog can be used to follow the development of the project. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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VLC Acquiring Lots of New Features

DirectX 12 Lies Dormant Within Microsoft’s Recent Windows 10 Update

MojoKid writes After last Wednesday’s Windows 10 event, early adopters and IT types were probably anxious for Microsoft to release the next preview build. Fortunately, it didn’t take long as it came out on Friday, and it’s safe to say that it introduced even more than many were anticipating (but still no Spartan browser). However, in case you missed it, DirectX 12 is actually enabled in this Windows 10 release, though unfortunately we’ll need to wait for graphics drivers and apps that support it, to take advantage of DX 12 features and performance enhancements. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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DirectX 12 Lies Dormant Within Microsoft’s Recent Windows 10 Update

The New Jamstik+ Is A Musician’s Best Friend

 As a wannabe guitarist, I find that the hardest thing to do is sit down and actually play guitar. When I first saw the Jamstik, a six-fret mini electronic guitar, I was impressed. It was about as big as a sub bun and featured strings that never had to be tuned. To play it you simply chorded and strummed as usual and you could transmit your MIDI-translated noodlings to a mobile app or your desktop. Read More

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The New Jamstik+ Is A Musician’s Best Friend