Drone racing in the woods evokes more than a few Star Wars memories

This is cool!



http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/08/drone-racing/?ncid=rss_truncated

Eurogamer Expo 2015 headed to Birmingham NEC next September

"EGX has experienced amazing growth during our four years at Earl's Court," Gamer Network head honcho Rupert Loman explained.

"While we are sad to leave, we see the move to the NEC not only as a real opportunity to continue its success, but also to evolve and improve the experience we offer both attendees and exhibitors."

More details on EGX 2015 will be announced in due course.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-10-01-egx-2015-headed-to-birmingham-nec-next-september

Solarbox london phoneboxes get solar powered charging

I think it would be better implemented in bus stops with a larger top surface area and where people would generally be waiting around. 

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-10/03/solarbox-london-phone-chargers

Tesco's Hudl 2

Tesco's sold 750,000 of their last tablet with a reasonable price point, decent specs and a toughened exterior aimed at lower age groups and parents. This should also be a winner then...

FreeNAS 9.2.1.8-RELEASE is now available

Time for another FreeNAS release! This one fixes a number of issues in 9.2.1.7 as well as addressing the “shellshock” security vulnerability in bash (to which FreeNAS is not generally vulnerable as bash is not the system shell, but it was still worth fixing).

The list of bugs fixed in 9.2.1.8-RELEASE can be found here. The release notes for 9.2.1.8:

• Fix bug where use of NONE cipher in replication erroneously reported an error on a successful replication.
• Don’t enable lz4 compression on replication by default if upgrading from a pre-9.2.1.7 release.
• Multiple kernel iSCSI / CTL improvements. This includes VMWare VAAI and Microsoft ODX acceleration support, improved performance and fixes for number of bugs. Kernel iSCSI can be activated by checking the experimental target checkbox under services -> iSCSI.
• Improve performance of viewing snapshots when replication tasks are set up.
• Allow binding CIFS to specific IPs.
• Fix LDAP bind URL when using TLS.
• Validate AD advanced settings. If the GC or DC are manually specified make sure they are reachable.
• Set UNIX permissions when the Mac permissions radio button is selected. Netatalk does not play nicely with ACLs.
• Fix a bug in the mail sending routines used by FreeNAS. With some mailserver configurations the To: address could’ve been set to root instead of the address specified in the root user.
• Fix a bug that prevented the system from showing the replicated status of a snapshot if the remote path differed from the local path.
• “Shellshock” security vulnerability in bash (which is not the system shell FreeNAS or FreeBSD) proactively closed.

http://www.freenas.org/whats-new/2014/09/freenas-9-2-1-8-release-is-now-available.html

Here are the 6 new features inside Windows 10

• Start menu: The familiar Start menu is back, but it brings with it a new customizable space for your favorite apps and Live Tiles.

• Everything runs in a window: Apps from the Windows Store now open in the same format that desktop apps do and can be resized and moved around, and have title bars at the top allowing for maximize, minimize, and close with a click.

• Multiple desktops: Create desktops for different purposes and projects and switch between these desktops easily and pick up where you left off on each desktop.

• Find files faster: File Explorer now displays your recent files and frequently visited folders making for finding files you've worked on is easier.

• New task view button: There's a new task-view button on the taskbar for quick switching between open files and quick access to any desktops you create.

• Snap enhancements: You can now have four apps snapped on the same screen with a new quadrant layout. Windows will also show other apps and programs running for additional snapping and even make smart suggestions on filling available screen space with other open apps

http://www.wpcentral.com/new-features-windows-10

Netflix's first original movie will be a sequel to 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'

Not content with Original TV shows. Netflix is moving into the movie space.

Clue:

http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/29/6870271/netflix-first-original-movie-will-be-a-sequel-to-crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon#

Sky Seeks Code Powers to Support New UK PIA and SLU Broadband Trials

This'll be interesting.

They'll likely get code powers but the issue of multiple PCP's (those green boxes you see on the street) will have to be addresses or we'll be seeing thousands of extra ones. Hopefully the can implement them below ground level or something.

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2014/09/sky-seeks-code-powers-support-new-uk-broadband-trials.html

Things that are going to speed up the internetz

Derived from Google SPDY protocol: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_2.0

HTML Picture element to be introduced to all browsers:
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/09/how-a-new-html-element-will-make-the-web-faster/

ISP PlusNet Highlights Rising UK Demand for Netflix Video Streams

I think for the major ISP's willing to host Netflix's Open Connect platform this is simply an issue of staying on to of capacity. For smaller ISP's without this hardware it must become tricky managing the  evening congestion on their peering / transit and making sure there is enough capacity at all times.  Especially with events such as the iOS release coming up in September where ISP's usually have a bit of a meltdown in terms of consumer traffic.

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2014/08/uk-isp-plusnet-highlights-rising-demand-netflix-video-streams.html

First 64-bit Android phone has no 64-bit software

When Apple launched the iPhone 5S with a 64-bit processor, it sent the rest of the spec-obsessed SoC world on a race to catch up. After about a year of lag time, the Android ecosystem has finally started to catch up, with HTC announcing the Desire 510, the first 64-bit Android phone.

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/08/first-64-bit-android-phone-has-no-64-bit-software/

AMD’s Big Bet on ARM Powered Servers: Opteron A1100 Revealed

Looks like CDN farms might find a new processor king in the near future.... AMD  are really doing some innovative stuff with Mantle and now this. Good to see them keeping Intel humble.  

http://www.anandtech.com/show/8362/amds-big-bet-on-arm-powered-servers-a1100-revealed

OpenGL 4.5 released—with one of Direct3D’s best features

"The Khronos Group today released OpenGL 4.5, the newest version of the industry standard 3D programming API. The new version contains a mix of features designed to make developers' lives easier and to improve performance and reliability of OpenGL applications.



The group also issued a call for participation in its next generation OpenGL initiative. Amid growing interest in "low-level" APIs, such as AMD's Mantle and Microsoft's forthcoming Direct3D 12 specification, Khronos is working on its own vendor-neutral, cross-platform API to give developers greater low-level control and to extract more performance from 3D hardware.



The big feature in OpenGL 4.5 is Direct State Access (DSA)."
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/08/opengl-4-5-released-with-one-of-direct3ds-best-features/

Virgin Media Expand UK Network to Cambridgeshire Village, But is it FTTP?

"Virgin Media has confirmed to ISPreview.co.uk that a “small-scale development” is currently underway and in the “early stages” of expanding superfast broadband and TV (but not phone) services into the large village of Papworth Everard near the city of Cambridge, but will it be a 152Mbps coax (DOCSIS) or 300Mbps Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network?"
http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2014/08/virgin-media-expand-uk-network-cambridgeshire-village-fttp.html

Gamescom 2014: More social features, new ways to watch TV, and USB and DLNA Support Coming Soon

Lots of new features plus lots of additional file formats supported.

Xbox One compatible file types:

• 3gp audio
• 3gp video
• 3gp2
• aac
• adts
• animated gif
• asf
• avi divx
• avi dv
• avi uncompressed
• avi xvid
• bmp
• jpg
• gif
• h264 avchd
• mjpeg
• mkv
• mov
• mp3
• mpeg 1 ps
• mpeg 2
• mpeg 2 hd
• mpeg 2 ts
• mpeg 4 h264 aac
• mpeg 4 sp
• png
• tiff
• wav
• wma
• wma lossless
• wma pro
• wma voice
• wmv
• wmv hd

http://majornelson.com/2014/08/12/kicking-gamescom-2014-social-features-new-ways-watch-tv-usb-dlna-support-coming-soon/