Monday, February 10, 2014

LG cuts the price of its curved OLED TV to a vaguely reasonable $7,000

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/10/lg-cuts-the-price-of-its-curved-oled-tv-to-7000/

LG curved OLED TV

The US price of LG's first curved OLED TV dropped from $15,000 to a slightly less stratospheric $10,000 late last year, but that five-digit sticker was still bound to scare away all but the richest buyers. It's a good thing, then, that LG has cut the 55-inch set's price a second time. You can now pick up the curved screen for $7,000 -- or rather, $8,000 plus an instant $1,000 rebate. It's not a great bargain when you can buy a larger 4K display for less, but those who insist on having an exotic-looking TV in the living room will likely appreciate the savings.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Via: CNET

Read More...

Intel's new low-power graphics could boost battery life in your next laptop

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/10/intel-low-power-graphics-core/

Intel's low-power graphics core

Graphics hardware can rapidly drain a laptop's battery -- there's a good reason why many Ultrabooks ship with nothing more than basic integrated video. If Intel brings a new low-power graphics core to market, though, high-performance visuals and long battery life won't be mutually exclusive concepts. The experimental design boosts the voltage of those components it needs the most, letting it aggressively reduce the voltage of unused circuits; it can even put the entire core to sleep for brief moments. The result is a GPU that's 40 percent more efficient than what you'd otherwise get. The company isn't saying just what it will do with its discovery, but it notes that the part could either extend the longevity of a mobile PC or improve its performance without sapping any more energy. If you can eventually buy an ultra-thin laptop that easily runs Crysis all day long, you'll know who to thank.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Via: PC World

Source: Intel Labs

Read More...

Here's Why Instagram Is The Best Media Acquisition Of The Last Five Years And Tumblr Is The Worst

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-acquisition-best-tumblr-worst-2014-2

Instagram-Halloween

Mark Zuckerberg might be a lot happier about spending $1 billion on Instagram than Marissa Mayer is about shelling out the big bucks for Tumblr. 

According to research by the think-tank L2 Intelligence, Instagram is the best media acquisition of the last five years and Tumblr is the worst.

Since Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion in April 2012 and Yahoo purchased Tumblr for $1.1 billion in May 2013, the two social networks have seen extremely different rates of growth as well as interest and adoption rates from brands and advertisers.

"Prestige brands have abandoned Tumblr, and the adoption rate has declined," the report says. "Instagram’s 2014 revenues are forecast at $250 million-$400 million, while mention of Tumblr was noticeably absent from parent company Yahoo’s recent earnings announcement." 

Ninety-three percent of prestige brands — basically, the brands that companies want as advertisers — are on Instagram, and, since December 2013, those brands have increased their engagement on Instagram by 1.53%. At the same time, Instagram also had the highest year-over-year increase in unique visitors than any of the other top-10 mobile apps. 

If you compare the growth of active usage between Instagram and Tumblr over the second half of 2013, Instagram's usage increased by 23%, whereas Tumblr's only increased by 6%. 

Check out L2's chart ! of diffe rent social networks' brand engagement in relation to their size:

L2 Intelligence

Instagram has had amazing year-over-year growth:L2 Intelligence

Join the conversation about this story »


    






Read More...

Hackers Can Take Over A Car For About $20

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/hackers-can-take-over-a-car-for-about-20-2014-2

CTH

Two security researchers have recently created a device that can effectively hack a car.

Although cars function as a closed network, Javier Vazquez-Vidal and Alberto Garcia Illera have taken it upon themselves to show just how easily a hacker can gain control of a vehicle.

The two are planning on presenting their findings at the Black Hat Asia security conference in Singapore.

Andy Greenberg describes the invention for Forbes:

... Spanish security researchers Javier Vazquez-Vidal and Alberto Garcia Illera plan to present a small gadget they built for less than $20 that can be physically connected to a car’s internal network to inject malicious commands affecting everything from its windows and headlights to its steering and brakes. Their tool, which is about three-quarters the size of an iPhone, attaches via four wires to the Controller Area Network or CAN bus of a vehicle, drawing power from the car’s electrical system and waiting to relay wireless commands sent remotely from an attacker’s computer. They call their creation the CAN Hacking Tool, or CHT.

John Hanson, safety manager of Toyota, dismissed these security concerns and told Forbes, “Our focus, and that of the entire auto industry, is to prevent hacking from a remote wireless device outside of the vehicle."

This report comes not long after hackers managed to use a refrigerator to hack a business. As everyday appliances become more technical and outfitted with computer chips, consumers are exposing themselves ever more to cyber vulnerability.

The capability to hack cars seems to take the dangers of hacking to an entirely new and more immediate level.

Vazquez-Vidal and Garcia Illera, like most other security experts, said they ! are not trying to empower the hacking community through their work. Instead, they hope that by addressing such glaring insecurities, car manufacturers will start to pay attention and reinforce the networks present in all cars.

SEE ALSO: A Flaw In Snapchat Lets Hackers Crash Your Phone Remotely

Join the conversation about this story »


    






Read More...

Blackmagic now shipping its Production Camera 4K for $1,000 less than expected

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/10/blackmagic-production-camera-4k-now-shipping-1000-less/

So far, all of Blackmagic Design's cinema cameras have suffered through various shipping delays, and the new RAW-capable Production Camera 4K is no exception. But if you plunked four grand down to order one quite awhile ago, there's a double-shot of good news: it's finally shipping out and you'll be getting $1,000 back for your troubles. The 4K super-35 sensor, global-shutter equipped model is now priced (permanently) at $2,995 instead of $3,995, making it the cheapest 4K pro cameras on the market right now. That may change when Panasonic's 4K Lumix GH4 starts shipping for (likely) less money and with footage that, while not RAW, also looks very promising. Considering that there were exactly zero sub-$3,000 4K cinema cameras on the market a week ago, though, it's nice to now have the dilemma of which to pick.

Filed under:

Comments

Via: No Film School

Source: Blackmagic Design

Read More...