Car electronics manufacturer Alpine to sell aftermarket CarPlay units in the fall

In March, Mercedes-Benz said that it had plans to offer aftermarket CarPlay units by the end of 2014. As noticed by MacRumors, a Nikkei report from Saturday reveals that car electronics manufacturer Alpine has similar plans.
Alpine will begin selling a standalone car console that integrates CarPlay in the fall. Although many car manufacturers are going to offer CarPlay-equipped cars in their new ranges very soon, Alpine will be the first company to sell an independent CarPlay unit, that can be installed on current cars. The cost is reported to be between $500 to $700.

Research and Markets: Global Consumer Electronics Market 2014-2018 with LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony & Toshiba Dominating

The Global Consumer Electronics market will grow at a CAGR of 5.59 percent over the period 2013-2018.
The Global Consumer Electronics market can be divided into five segments:

• TVs
• In-car Entertainment Equipment
• Portable and Home Audio Equipment
• Cameras
• Image Recording and Playback Devices.

Modern military cadets train behind computer screens

If Douglas MacArthur or Ulysses S. Grant went to the U.S. Military Academy today, they might test their defensive skills hunched in front of a computer screen.

Teams of caffeine-fueled cadets from five U.S. military academies spent long days in computer labs last week trying to fend off threats cooked up by experts at the National Security Agency (NSA). In the end, the West Point team won the annual Cyber Defense Exercise, beating out the Air Force, Naval, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine academies in creating the best computer networks to withstand the four-day barrage.

The 14-year-old exercise lacks the lore of Army-Navy football, but not the intensity. Not only does the exercise practice the military’s broader strategy of staying ahead of the curve in cyberoperations, but the cadets also relish the chance to test their computer skills against their peers. 

“This is the Army-Navy game for our electrical engineering and computer science departments. … This is our chance to beat the other service academies,” said Cadet Jason DeCoursey of Little Rock, Ark.

DeCoursey was one of about 30 senior cadets crammed in a windowless computer lab at the academy last week. The exercise is essentially a high-tech game of capture the flag: The NSA team attempts to capture “tokens” embedded in the academies’ networks. The academy that does the best job fending off the cyberattacks wins.

By the midpoint of the three-day exercise, Air Force, the team that won last year, was barely ahead. Army defenses held up after a nerve-wracking breach the day before. Cadet Hayden Tippett, of Tempe, Ariz., said he spent 23 of his 24 waking hours earlier that week in the computer room. He slept in a nearby room one night using his boots as a pillow.

“We don’t have big backpacks on. We’re not walking through the woods. We’re sitting behind computers. But it is stressful,” said Cadet John Zeidler of Milwaukee.

Some of the cadets want to specialize in cyberoperations after they become Army officers next month. West Point, a 212-year-old institution, is gearing up its new Army Cyber Institute, which aims to become a national resource for research, advice, and education in cyberdefense and operations.

The director of the institute, Col. Gregory Conti, is a 1989 West Point graduate who recalls that as a young lieutenant during the first Gulf War he would stick little pieces of acetate with enemy unit symbols to a battle map with double-stick tape.

“It is changing the nature of warfare, and we’re trying figure out how to come to grips with that,” he said.

Foggy notions: Computer screen created from mist

Interactive computer screens made from mist could become a feature of future office conference rooms, if a new technology developed by researchers at the University of Bristol takes off.

Professor Sriram Subramanian and Dr Diego Martinez Plasencia, from Bristol’s Department of Computer Science, have developed a tabletop system known as MisTable, combining a conventional interactive table with personal screens, which are projected onto a curtain of fog that hovers between the user and the tabletop surface.

Bravura Software announces Version 2 of Easy Computer Sync

New version allows users to easily transfer data to a new computer

REDMOND, USA: Bravura Software has announced the version 2 release of Easy Computer Sync, a software program that allows users to quickly and easily transfer or synchronize data between computers using a USB Easy Transfer Cable.
The new release adds full migration support, which allows users to transfer all of their data to a new computer. It also supports synchronizing data in both directions between computers, and manually dragging and dropping files between computers. The version 2 release also includes a new remote control feature for the connected computer, which is especially helpful when only one monitor is available.

Nasa orders spacewalk to repair serious computer malfunction at ISS

Nasa has ordered spacewalking repairs to fix a serious computer outage at the International Space Station.
A backup computer for some robotic systems failed on Friday. The main computer is fine and the six-man ISS crew is safe, but the malfunction puts next week's supply run in jeopardy.
Mission managers agreed on Saturday that a spacewalk was needed to replace the bad computer. But officials want one more day before deciding whether the situation is safe enough in orbit to proceed with Monday's SpaceX launch as planned.
Nasa said it would decide on Sunday whether to delay the delivery mission. No date for the spacewalk has been set.
The SpaceX Dragon capsule is loaded with more than two tons of space station supplies at Cape Canaveral. The shipment is already a month late.

Computer hacking expert says more bad news to come from Heartbleed

The fallout from the Heartbleed bug could go far beyond just 900 social insurance numbers compromised at the Canada Revenue agency.
Alberta computer security expert John Zabiuk suspects there’s a wave of problems coming.
“Right now, we’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “This is probably the largest flaw that’s hit the Internet in history.”
Zabiuk is with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton, where, as an ethical hacker, he teaches students to protect computer systems by approaching the problem from a hacker’s perspective.

Why nobody can tell whether the world’s biggest quantum computer is a quantum computer

For the past several years, a Canadian company called D-Wave Systems has been selling what it says is the largest quantum computer ever built. D-Wave’s clients include Lockheed Martin, NASA, the US National Security Agency, and Google, each of which paid somewhere between $10 million and $15 million for the thing. As a result, D-Wave has won itself millions in funding and vast amounts of press coverage—including, two months ago, the cover of Time (paywall).

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These machines are of little use to consumers. They are delicate, easily disturbed, require cooling to just above absolute zero, and are ruinously expensive.

MechRunner Coming to PS4, Vita, and PC

MechRunner, a new mech-themed, Hollywood-influenced action game, has been announced for a summer release on PC, PS4, and PlayStation Vita.
MechRunner casts gamers as a mech that can switch between robot and tank modes, enabling them to blast their way through urban landscapes while defeating waves of enemies and rescuing civilians.
It is being developed by Spark Plug Games, a studio that's previously worked on a number of PC and mobile games, including the iOS port of Puzzle Quest 2. For MechRunner, Spark Plug got film industry concept artist Josh Nizzi on board to help conceptualise and bring the mechs to life. Nizzi has a lot of experience in the area, having worked on hits like The Avengers, Iron Man, and Transformers.
“I think we have some of the most detailed, amazing looking mechs to ever appear in a video game," says Ben Lichius, VP and Art Director at Spark Plug.
Though MechRunner is reportedly already "feature complete," Spark Plug is running a Kickstarter campaign to help polish things up before its release. Backer rewards include early game access, in-game content, a soundtrack, and t-shirts.
MechRunner is due for release in July.

PS4 1.7 Firmware Update With HDCP Removal Might Arrive Next Week

Back on 19 March, Sony had said that it was working on a PS4 update that would bring major changes, including the ability to export captures to USB devices and the much-requested removal of HDCP. The electronics giant hasn't said much about the update since then, and an entire month has passed.
However, citing information from an industry insider, a new report from PSU now indicates that the much-awaited 1.7 firmware update might actually start rolling out next week.

The Last Of Us Screenshot, Videos Show Difference Between PS3, PS4 Versions

Rip off!” That's been the common thread of discussion permeating throughout the gaming community ever since it was announced that The Last of Us would be coming to the PlayStation 4 for 60 cool ones.

The $60 price tag has caused a lot of gamers to feel as if the eighth-gen will be comprised of rehashed “remastered” editions of seventh generation game titles. We've already seen it with Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, a game that was nary a year old but was re-released on the new-gen consoles for $60 and a few of the same features that PC gamers have already been experiencing for the past year.

Warframe Celebrates 1st Anniversary With Free DLC On PS4

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of Warframe's PC beta launch, developer Digital Extremes is giving PlayStation 4 players a free weapon, along with several customizable options.
The Dex Furis, a pair of supercharged handguns with a special skin and weapon attachment slot, are in PS4 players' inboxes from now until 2:00 EDT on April 21. The Excalibur Proto-Armor, a special skin, will also be available until that time, although this item will need to be purchased through Warframe's in-game market.
PC players were also gifted the Dex Furis weapon in a late-March update to the free-to-play shooter, so the item is available to Warframe players on every possible platform.

PS4 Availability: Spare Parts for Sale in Japan, Could This Help Meet PlayStation 4 Console Demand?

Spare parts for the PS4 are now available in Japan, and the best question U.S. gamers can ask is, "Will this service be coming to North America?"
According to DualShockers, PlayStation owners can pick up HDD bay covers, bay brackets, power cords, and screw sets. The report also indicated that a similar service is available for the PS3 as well.
Spare parts for Sony's console could be advantageous to the company as consoles have been pretty scarce as of late due to demand. Instead of replacing entire consoles that may be broken or glitched, perhaps a gamer could simply find a replacement part to help fix the problem.
"We're struggling to keep up with demand," House said to Screw Attack. "Conservatively, as we get into the early summer months, we'll be closer to a full supply situation."

OPPO Mobiles To Introduce Over 10 Smartphones In India By December 2014

OPPO Mobiles, which is one of the leading Chinese mobile phone manufacturing company had forayed into the Indian market in early 2014 with its flagship device OPPO N1 smartphone. This smartphone was launched by brand ambassadors- Bollywood hearthrob Hrithik Roshan and Sonam Kapoor. Read about Oppo N1: http://www.techvorm.com/oppo-n1-with13mp-rotating-camera-launched-rs-39999/
Oppo has ambitious and aggressive plans for the Indian market and intend to introduce over 10 mobile phones across categories by December 2014. OPPO currently has 4 smartphone models available in India with the much-anticipated OPPO Find 7 to be launched by mid-2014.

Apple iPhone 6: Cases leaked, price will be a mystery

Apple is successful in maintaining confidentiality of its information but it does not have control over case makers that make cases for iPhones. The latest leak comes from one such case maker who has made two different cases for the alleged iPhone 6 with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch display sizes. The cases suggest a complete redesign and a huge bump up in the size of the phones.
According to previous reports and leaks Apple is likely to make the iPhone 6 in two size variants one featuring a 4.7-inch display and another with 5.5-inch display. The company is unlikely to increase the number of megapixels in the camera department but it will focus on the quality of image and low light photography.

Best Selling Mobiles on homeshop18: Avail 20% Discount on Micromax Canvas Juice A77

New Delhi: Homeshop18 is offering discounts on best selling mobile phones.  Spice M6110 is one of the top selling mobile phones on homeshop18 and it is available for Rs. 2599.  Click here to explore other deals on homeshop18 on best selling mobile phones.

    Spice M6110 full touch mobile phone is available for a price of Rs. 2599.   Cash n delivery and free shipping is offered on the handset.  This handset is ranked 10 among bestseller in mobiles on homeshop18.  Free flip cover is offered on the handset.  This phone comes with 4 inch display and supports dual SIM and dual standby.  Other key features are 16 GB expandable memory, 1.3 megapixel camera and Li-ion 1000 mAh battery that give 5 hours talktime.

T-Mobile's third act: A push to end industry overage fees

T-Mobile wants the industry to drop the practice of overage fees, it believes cost 20 million US consumers $1 billion last year.
Capping off a flurry of news, T-Mobile CEO John Legere said he is kicking off a campaign to abolish the fees that are charged when a customers go over their allotted voice minutes, data, or text messages. T-Mobile largely eliminated them with its Simple Choice plans, which offered unlimited voice and text messages, and data that was throttled.
T-Mobile is up and roaring after a relatively quiet few months, unveiling a series of new programs designed to entice consumers to make the switch and needling its competitors along the way.

Health risk from mobiles, tablets growing: Study

LONDON: Health risks from mobile wireless devices like phones and tablets are growing stronger and requires immediate action, according to a new study.According to the BioInitiative Working Group, which released a mid-year update covering new science studies from 2012 to 2014, new studies intensify medical concerns about malignant brain tumors from cellphone use.

"There is a consistent pattern of increased risk for glioma (a malignant brain tumour) and acoustic neuroma with use of mobile and cordless phones," said Lennart Hardell from Orebro University, Sweden.