user agreement – Page 53 – Tech Today w/ Ken May

World of Warcraft’s $60 level-boosts reflect important economic reality

That’s only 67 cents per level. ORDER NOW! WoW Insider In games, as in life, the only truly nonrenewable resource is time. Thus, anything that saves a player time in getting something they want will have some important real-world value. World of Warcraft seems to finally be acknowledging this basic economic fact of life, letting players pay $60 to instantly level any character all the way up to level 90 in its upcoming expansion. Blizzard announced back at Blizzcon 2013 in November that players who purchased the upcoming Warlords of Draenor expansion would be able to instantly level a single character up to level 90 as a free bonus, thereby gaining the ability to take part in new content that’s balanced for characters from level 90 to the new level cap of 100. Then, in January, the company said it was also “testing out a feature that gives you the option to purchase a character upgrade directly,” allowing players with multiple characters to get the instant boost without, say, buying multiple copies of the expansion (which isn’t yet available for preorder). Last week, WoW Insider noticed a “Level 90 character boost” item briefly listed in the in-game shop during server maintenance before being quickly removed. The asking price on the listing: $60. Read 11 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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World of Warcraft’s $60 level-boosts reflect important economic reality

Everything you wanted to know about the security-focused Blackphone

BARCELONA, SPAIN—Here at Mobile World Congress, Silent Circle and Geeksphone have just announced more details on the Blackphone , a phone focused on security and privacy. “Blackphone” seems to be both a product and a company, as in the company Blackphone will provide updates and support for the product Blackphone. Having been cofounded by Phil Zimmerman, the creator of PGP e-mail encryption, the company has tons of security talent. Blackphone was announced about a month ago, but this is the first time we’re getting details on just what the Blackphone is and how it works. First to be announced were the specs of the Blackphone. The hardware is being built by Geeksphone , and the current specs are a 2GHz quad-core SoC, a 4.7-inch “HD” IPS screen, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, 8MP rear and 1.3MP front cameras, and HSPA+ and LTE connectivity. Blackphone notes that “certain specifications are subject to change” but the Geeksphone CEO said that any change would be “better,” and that the goal is to offer a premium phone. At $629 for a contract-free, unlocked phone, the cost is certainly in line with that goal. Blackphone notes that it “does not use proprietary hardware in any way,” which will allow it to release source code for “as much of the Blackphone code base as possible.” While Geeksphone is handling the hardware, Silent Circle is handling the software. The Blackphone runs a Google-less version of Android called “PrivatOS.” Besides removing the user-tracking Google parts, most of the Blackphone’s security and privacy advantages seem to come from the integration of Silent Circle apps. The suite of apps mentioned at the event were the existing Silent Phone and Silent Text apps, and a new product called “Silent Contacts.” Silent Phone and Silent Text encrypt your phone calls, text messages, and file transfers to other users of the apps. Read 5 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Everything you wanted to know about the security-focused Blackphone

Mt. Gox, once the world’s largest Bitcoin exchange, shuts down

Mt. Gox As of late Monday evening, the embattled Bitcoin site Mt. Gox appears to have pulled the plug entirely in the wake of sustained DDOS attacks and the “transaction malleability” problem that has plagued other websites. The site is gone and the company’s Twitter account appears to have been erased entirely. Ars’ requests to Mt. Gox for comment were not immediately returned. Bitcoin’s trading price has been steadily declining since the beginning of 2014, and as of this writing is hovering around $470 and falling . Read 5 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Artificial muscles made with fishing line

Fishing line of different diameters, formed into the coiled-coils used in these experiments. Science/AAAS Take a rubber band and twist it. Keep twisting it until it starts to collapse onto itself and form larger loops—it’s something you can do with almost any strand-like structure. Now, scientists from the University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson are taking advantage of this property in everyday materials such as fishing line and sewing thread and using it to make artificial muscles. The scientists took pieces of fiber that were a few hundred micrometers long and twisted them until they began to coil. As the pieces coiled, the twisted fibers became shorter and thicker; once tightly coiled, the scientists heat-treated them to prevent the fibers from unfolding. If heat is applied to the finished coil after this procedure, the individual fibers try to untwist. The untwisting causes the coils to expand in volume as they shorten in length, just like a muscle. The researchers found that if they made the fiber form larger coils in the same direction as the initial twists, the fibers contracted. If the fibers were made to coil in the opposite direction from the twist, the fibers expanded. By combining large quantities of these twisted fibers, the team could produce artificial muscles with above-average characteristics. Read 3 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Artificial muscles made with fishing line

Next-generation Broadwell NUCs coming late 2014, says leaked roadmap

Ivy Bridge NUC on top, Haswell NUC on the bottom. What will the next one look like? Andrew Cunningham Intel’s “Next Unit of Computing” (NUC) mini desktops are apparently one of the few segments in the PC industry actually seeing some growth, and a new roadmap leaked by FanlessTech shows that Intel is already planning the next versions. According to the roadmap, Intel is planning three new NUC models based on next-generation Broadwell chips, all scheduled to launch toward the end of 2014. FanlessTech [ars_story_side post_id=”397297″][/ars_story_sidebar]Two of the new NUC models are targeted at consumers, and will use next-generation Core i3 and Core i5 CPUs codenamed “Rock Canyon.” Like the current Haswell NUCs, they will include USB 3.0, mini HDMI, and mini DisplayPort outputs. The mini DisplayPort outlets can power either a 4K display or three lower-resolution displays simultaneously. The mSATA slot that current NUCs use for their SSDs will be replaced by an M.2 slot , which can provide faster storage speeds via the PCI Express bus. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and an IR sensor will both be built in, as will a bay for a standard 2.5-inch hard drive. The most interesting departure from current NUCs will be swappable lids, which can add either NFC or wireless charging capabilities to the NUCs. The idea of using a desktop as a wireless charging pad isn’t entirely new—we saw a desktop or two that offered this capability at this year’s CES—but a NUC-sized box could serve as a nice wireless charging pad for smartphones and tablets. Read 2 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Netflix packets being dropped every day because Verizon wants more money

Anthony Fine The battle over who should pay to carry Netflix traffic is heating up again, and one of the main players blames Verizon’s greed for the poor performance that many consumers see when trying to watch streaming video. Cogent Communications CEO Dave Schaeffer made his case in an interview with Ars yesterday, saying Verizon is refusing to upgrade the infrastructure that carries Internet traffic from one network to another unless outrageous demands for payment are met. The network connections between Cogent and Verizon, crucial for carrying streaming video and other content to Verizon’s home Internet customers, “are full,” Schaeffer said. “They are more than full. They are so full that today a significant amount of packets are being dropped between the networks.” Read 39 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Netflix packets being dropped every day because Verizon wants more money

Facebook buys WhatsApp for $16 billion

According to an early report from Bloomberg News reporter Sarah Frier, Facebook is set to buy WhatsApp for $16 billion. An SEC filing confirms the acquisition for $4 billion in cash to WhatsApp’s security holders, along with $12 billion in Facebook stock and an additional $3 billion in Facebook stock that will vest over four years. WhatsApp has been one of a handful of booming messaging apps that has grown especially large in the last year (GroupMe, WeChat, Kik, and Line are others). In December, the app was reported to have over 400 million monthly users, and Facebook now reports that the service has 450 million. Meanwhile, Facebook maintains roughly 1.2 billion as of last October. Facebook has yet to release usage numbers for either its messaging feature on the whole or its dedicated Messenger app. The Verge noted in December that it was “telling” that few other messaging apps release their usage numbers like WhatsApp does, which suggests its user base dwarfs its competitors. Read 2 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Lync-Skype video chat shown for the first time, coming later this year

Ever since Microsoft bought Skype in 2011, one of the biggest questions has been how the company would integrate the voice and video messaging service with its other voice and video messaging software: Lync. Last year, the company integrated the two systems for voice calling, allowing Lync users to talk to, and see the online status of, Skype users. This year, the company will take another big step toward bringing the systems together, with cross-network video calling. The company demonstrated Lync-to-Skype video calling at its Lync Conference today. The feature will go into a limited beta in summer or fall. In addition to improved interoperability with Skype, the company is also adding native interoperability with Cisco/Tandberg video conferencing systems. Joining its existing Lync clients for Windows Phone, iPhone, iPad, and Android phones, Microsoft says that it will have a Lync client for Android tablets available in the Google Play store by the end of June. Read 1 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Lync-Skype video chat shown for the first time, coming later this year

Who needs sunlight? In Arizona, solar power never sleeps

Solana is currently the largest parabolic trough plant in the world, covering more than 1,900 acres in southern Arizona. 4 more images in gallery GILA BEND, ARIZONA—Every afternoon during the summer, millions of people across the American Southwest come home from work and switch on their air conditioners, straining the power grid in states like Arizona. Traditional solar power—although perfectly suited to the sunny climes of this region—can’t meet this demand since the surge in use peaks just as the day’s sun is disappearing. That’s why most power suppliers diversify, using electricity from different sources to meet local needs. Solar power is abundant in the middle of sunny, clear days, but energy from other sources—coal, nuclear, or hydroelectric power for example—is necessary at night or when the weather is bad. But increasingly efficient technology is allowing solar plants to contribute for a longer period of time each day and produce energy even in cloudy conditions. The key is a design that allows them to store the sun’s energy to be used later. And new facilities, such as the Solana power plant that recently came online in Gila Bend, Arizona, are increasing solar energy’s niche by producing electricity several hours after the sun sets. Read 35 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Who needs sunlight? In Arizona, solar power never sleeps

US team to switch speed skating suits due to poor physics

Shani Davis wearing the Under Armour suit in question, in the race that placed him eighth overall. NBC The Under Armor speed skating suits meant to help US Olympic team members win may have actually been slowing them down, writes the Wall Street Journal in a report . A “design flaw” meant to aid with one element of the skaters’ physics may be hurting them in another way, resulting in no US skaters finishing higher than seventh place despite high rankings going in. The US requested a change on Thursday, and in the early hours of Saturday it was decided that the team could revert to the suits they used in previous World cup events, also made by Under Armour. The suits were designed with a vent on the back that is supposed to allow heat to escape. But the WSJ now suggests that the same vent may be letting air into the suit, creating drag and affecting skaters’ low stance. Kevin Haley, senior vice president of Under Armour, already copped to the problem, telling the WSJ “we’ll move heaven and earth to make them better.” Long-track team coach Ryan Shimabukuro refused to criticize the suits, but skater and 1,000-meter world-record holder Shani Davis claimed to have had his fastest start ever in the 1,000 meter race Wednesday while wearing the suit. An NBC commentator speaking over the event’s delayed broadcast in the US also asserted that the start was “the fastest [he’d] seen [Davis] open up this year.” Still, he finished eighth. Heather Richardson, the top-ranked women’s skater, finished seventh in the 1000m event; Brittany Bowe, the world record-holder for the same event, finished eighth. Read 2 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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US team to switch speed skating suits due to poor physics