An anonymous reader writes Now that its file synchronization tool has received a few updates, BitTorrent is going on the offensive against cloud-based storage services by showing off just how fast BitTorrent Sync can be. More specifically, the company conducted a test that shows Sync destroys Google Drive, Microsoft’s OneDrive, and Dropbox. The company transferred a 1.36 GB MP4 video clip between two Apple MacBook Pros using two Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapters, the Time.gov site as a real-time clock, and the Internet connection at its headquarters (1 Gbps up/down). The timer started when the file transfer was initiated and then stopped once the file was fully synced and downloaded onto the receiving machine. Sync performed 8x faster than Google Drive, 11x faster than OneDrive, and 16x faster than Dropbox. Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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BitTorrent Performance Test: Sync Is Faster Than Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox
If there’s one group that will surely embrace smartwatches, it’s those who like to change their background image and the look and feel of their devices every day. But the FES Watch doesn’t just let you change the watch face whenever you tire of the current design, using E-Ink technology it actually lets you change the look and style of the entire timepiece. Read more… 
Valve is changing Steam in a big way, overhauling the front page and adding some brand new features that will drastically change the way we find and buy PC games on the ubiquitous digital store. Read more… 
Your gadgets contain tiny specks of precious and rare earth metals—we rely on these dust-sized particles, which are so small they’re often not recycled because the cost of recycling outweighs the value of the metals. But according to the American Chemical Society, the overall value of these minute materials is massive. Read more… 
Some of the most haunting images of the U.S. were captured from 1935 to 1945, as the country emerged from the depths of the Great Depression and rallied for World War II. A team from Yale has collaborated on one of the most visually stunning interpretations of the era, called Photogrammar : 170, 000 photos from the period, plotted on a map of the country. Read more… 
Web: Over the years, you have probably clicked the Like button on several Facebook pages in which you are no longer interested. Facebook Cleanser performs a quick sweep to clean up your news feed. Read more… 
Summer Hack Day just wrapped up at Netflix headquarters, with company folks cranking out a whole bunch of silly, charming, harebrained ideas. Our favorite has got to be this Oculus Rift-powered, gesture-controlled setup. Pick your favorite movie or TV show like Professor X using Cerebro! Read more… 
New submitter GammaKitsune writes: “The Player’s Handbook for the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons, formerly known as “D&D Next, ” released today to major bookstores and online retailers across the U.S. The Player’s Handbook, which contains core rules for gameplay and character creation, is one of thee core rulebooks that developer Wizards of the Coast plans to release in 2014. The Monster Manual is scheduled to release in late September, and the Dungeon Master’s Guide will release in mid November. Also out today is the first of two adventure modules in which players team up to battle against the dragon goddess Tiamat. Fifth edition has a lot to prove following the highly-controversial fourth edition, the rise of competing roleplaying game Pathfinder, and two years of public playtesting. Initial reviews posted on Amazon appear overwhelmingly positive at the time of writing, but more skeptical gamers may wish to take a look at the free “Basic Rules” posted on the official D&D website. The basic rules contain all the bare essentials needed to create a character or run your own adventure, and will serve both as a free introduction for new players and as a holdover for long time players until the remaining two rulebooks are released. Read more of this story at Slashdot. 
This beetle looks like it’s been given a lick with a paintbrush—but in fact, it’s covered in paper-thin scales that are brilliant white, and reflect more light than anything of a similar thickness that can be made by humans. Read more…