Microsoft Rolls Out Surface Pro 3 To 25 New Markets

Microsoft Rolls Out Surface Pro 3 To 25 New Markets

Alex Wilhelm

TechCrunch 

In keeping with prior expectations, Microsoft is currently in the process of rolling out its Surface Pro 3 tablet-hybrid to 25 new markets over the next 24 hours.
With the 25 new markets all live, Surface Pro 3 will be available in a total of 28 markets. The rollout of the device has therefore been quite constrained to date. Microsoft also detailed in a post today that the new Surface dock will sell in the new markets, ahead of its general availability in mid-September.
The new markets give Surface a chance to put more revenue-points on the board. Surface revenue is a figure that Microsoft breaks out in its earnings, making it simple to track. Top line from the hardware project fell by more than half from the fourth calendar quarter of 2013, to the second calendar quarter of 2014.
Given that Microsoft may be in process of stepping back from its Windows RT-based Surface devices, it’s up to the Intel-based Surface Pro 3 to carry the torch. The device has received the strongest reviews of any Surface device. Microsoft positions it as a computer that can replace a traditional laptop.
The Surface project has been an expensive effort for its parent company. If the Surface Pro 3 fails to ignite revenue in Microsoft’s hardware group, it isn’t immediately apparent what a next step would be — the Surface Mini was yanked moments before its planned announcement, so other new SKUs could be somewhat far from making it to market.
Regardless, New Zealand is up first, along with 24 other markets. We’ll see if the bets that Microsoft has made were worth their time, and expense soon enough.

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Researchers working on nanobots that directly attack tumors to cure cancer

Researchers working on nanobots that directly attack tumors to cure cancer

Timothy J. Seppala

Engadget

For all the advancements we've made with technology and medicine, a cure for cancer still eludes us. But maybe that's because we haven't enlisted nanoparticles to attack tumors just yet.
New research from the University of California's Davis Cancer Center, spotted by PhysOrg, suggest that could be a reality sometime soon. By attaching a tumor-recognition module to a nanorobot, doctors would be able to both diagnose a cancerous growth and inject drugs directly into the carcinoma.
This would effectively target only the malignant cells and leave the surrounding areas unharmed -- taking things a few steps further than, say, the nanodiamonds we've heard of. It's a stark contrast to how chemotherapy treatment typically works, too, which is a blanket attack on all of a certain type of cell that often inflicts as much collateral damage as it does good.
Who knows, a world where cancer patients don't have their hair or bone marrow destroyed during treatment might not be too far off after all. 

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Find Out How the Paparazzi Put Justin Bieber's Life in Danger

Even though Justin Bieber got into a car accident with a paparazzo only a few months ago, he can't seem to stay out of trouble! The singer just got into another car accident with a photographer who was trailing him.

According to TMZ, a member of the paparazzi crashed into the back of Justin's Ferrari after he slammed on the brakes. Although nobody was injured, Justin was obviously furious, taking to Twitter to blast the paparazzi for endangering his life.

It's been a busy week for Justin — he's already had a run-in with the cops and letse see what's next.

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LG reveals the G3 Stylus, a new handset at an "exceptional price"

LG reveals the G3 Stylus, a new handset at an "exceptional price"

by Andy Weir

Neowin 

The name 'G3 Stylus' sounds, initially, like it might apply to an accessory for LG's flagship Android handset, the G3, which it launched earlier this year. But in fact, the name applies to an entirely new device - one that looks like a G3, but which has far less impressive specs than the company's range-topper.

LG announced the G3 Stylus today, ahead of its full official launch next month at the IFA trade show in Berlin. As its name suggests, the device comes with its own stylus for handwriting and sketching on its display - but while the company describes the handset as a 'G3 variant', it appears to have very little in common with that device.

The original G3 is a true flagship, packing superlative specs, from a quad-core 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 chipset to 2GB/3GB of RAM, and a stunning 5.5-inch Quad HD (2560x1440px) display. The G3 Stylus, by comparison, has a far more modest spec sheet.

The new handset also includes a 5.5-inch display, for example, but its resolution is far lower at just 960x540px. There's only 1GB of RAM onboard too, as well as a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, and just 8GB of onboard storage (expandable via microSD).

The G3 Stylus also includes a 13MP rear camera, 1.3MP front-facing camera and a 3000mAh battery, along with Android 4.4.2 KitKat. However, there is no support for 4G LTE networks.
Following its launch at IFA, the G3 Stylus will first go on sale in Brazil next month, before rolling out to Russia and markets in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Pricing details have not yet been announced - LG is saving that info for later - but it promises that the G3 Stylus will be sold at an "exceptional price that can't be beat".

The new handset will also feature many of the UI and software enhancements that LG first rolled out with the G3. 

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Spotify is now free for Windows Phone users

Spotify is now free for Windows Phone users

Daniel Cooper

Engadget

Spotify has offered free, ad-supported streaming to Android and iOS for months, leaving Windows Phone users what they'd done wrong to be so roundly ignored. Today, it seems, Spotify has finally remembered that they exist, and has announced that both Windows Phone 8 and 8.1 devices will enjoy "free" music from today. The updated app, available from the Windows Store, also has a few other tweaks, including better search and discovery features, helping you to work out which artists you love, and which artists are, eh, kinda okay, I guess.

Source: Spotify, Windows Store

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PlayStation and Xbox hit by attacks

PlayStation and Xbox hit by attacks

BBC News 

Sony's PlayStation Network was forced offline for much of Sunday by a cyber-attack in what appears to be a campaign against several online gaming services.
Microsoft's XBox Live, Blizzard's Battle.net, and Grinding Gear Games are among others to have reported being disrupted over the weekend.
The attacks coincided with a bomb scare involving a flight carrying a Sony executive.
An American Airlines jet was diverted after a threat was made online.
A warning that the flight - from Dallas-Fort Worth to San Diego - was carrying explosives was subsequently repeated by a Twitter account that had been used to claim responsibility for the online attacks.
John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment, had been tweeting about his firm's efforts to combat a "large scale DDoS" before posting a message saying he was about to board the plane.
DDoS stands for distributed denial of service attack - a technique in which many computers are used to flood an online service with requests in an attempt to overload its systems.
After the threatened plane landed in Phoenix, Arizona, Mr Smedley tweeted: "Yes, my plane was diverted. Not going to discuss more than that. Justice will find these guys."
A spokeswoman for Sony said that the FBI was now investigating the diversion. However, the Bureau has yet to issue a statement of its own.

Jihadist links
A Twitter account that has claimed responsibility for attacking Sony and the other video games firms has linked the attacks to the jihadist group Islamic State, posting: "Kuffar [non-believers] don't get to play videogames until bombing of the ISIL stops."
It also makes several references to Isis - the former name used by the Islamic militants.
But it is unclear whether this is a diversionary tactic, since an earlier post by the same account states: "Sony, yet another large company, but they aren't spending the waves of cash they obtain on their customers' PSN service. End the greed."
To complicate matters another hacker, who is associated with the Anonymous hacking collective, has claimed responsibility for the DDoS on the PlayStation Network, saying they mounted it to highlight vulnerabilities in Sony's system.
This hacker has criticised the other claims of responsibility and posted screenshots that purport to support their case.

Xbox disruption
Sony's PlayStation Network was notably taken offline for more than three weeks in 2011 after a hack attack that compromised its members' personal details and exposed their encrypted debit and credit card accounts.
However, the firm's social media manager has sought to reassure subscribers about the latest attack.
"We have seen no evidence of any intrusion to the network and no evidence of any unauthorized access to users' personal information," Sid Shuman blogged.
"In light of today's issue, the networks will not undergo the regularly scheduled maintenance, which was planned for Monday, August 25.
"We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused by this issue."
Microsoft declined to "comment on the root cause" of disruption its rival Xbox Live online gaming service has faced.
However, a message on is support site stated that Xbox One owners were experiencing "server unavailability issues" when trying to join other players in online games.
The webpage also mentions problems faced by owners of the Xbox 360 trying to connect to Diablo III's party chat feature.
This appears to be a consequence of an attack on Activision Blizzard's gaming service Battle.net, which also supports World of Warcraft and Starcraft titles.
"Battle.net game services have recently been subject to DDoS attacks. We worked diligently along with our ISPs [internet service providers] to improve the situation and currently are seeing more stability," said a message posted to the facility's site.
Meanwhile, Grinding Gear Games posted a message on the Twitter account of its game Path of Exile on Sunday, saying: "We're having some server issues due to a DDoS attack. Should have it sorted out soon. Sorry for the inconvenience!"
The incidents follow reports of earlier DDoS attacks on other multiplayer titles on Friday, including Eve Online, League of Legends, RuneScape and Guild Wars 2.

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The iPhone 6 Could Be A Whole Lot More Expensive

The iPhone 6 Could Be A Whole Lot More Expensive

Harry Bradford

The Huffington Post 

Here's one reality about the new iPhone that Apple fans might not be so excited about: It might be the priciest iPhone yet.
Many expect the so-called iPhone 6 to be a complete overhaul of the 5S, packed with several new features that could push costs up. Back in April, Jeffries analyst Peter Misek said Apple was negotiating with carriers to increase the price of the iPhone 6 by $100 compared to the 5s, which starts at $199 with contract.
Meanwhile, TechRadar says the new phone could cost more than $800 without a contract. That's double what the original iPhone cost in 2007, when it wasn't subsidized by two-year contracts. The 5S starts at $649 without contract.
Since the iPhone 3G was unveiled in 2008, new versions of Apple's smartphone have started at $199 with a contract*. So a jump to $299 would be pretty shocking.
Before you freak out, remember: We don't know for sure when the phone is coming. Apple has an event planned for Sept. 9 where it's expected the new model will be unveiled. But on Friday more rumors swirled that the launch could be delayed.
Anyway, many expect the phone to be a complete overhaul of the previous model. Here are the features that could drive the price up:

1. Size
The new iPhone is expected to come in two bigger sizes -- 4.7 and 5.5 inches -- a huge step up from the current 4 inch screen. The extra size is bound to cost more, but the 5.5 inch model is where a price increase is most likely. That may mean the new iPhone will feature a bigger battery. Some Apple patents also suggest the phone will be thinner. Bigger screen + bigger battery + thinner = $$$$.

2. Materials
One of the buzziest iPhone 6 rumors out there: the new phone's screen may be made of a new material called sapphire crystal. Relatively rare in phones, the material is supposedly stronger and more scratch resistant than Apple's previous Gorilla glass -- Apple already uses it to cover the fingerprint sensor and camera on its iPhone 5S. It’s not clear whether all models of the iPhone will feature the new material, but it’s estimated sapphire will cost Apple $16 per phone to make, compared to $3 for glass, The Wall Street Journal reports.

3. Processor
The iPhone 6 is also getting a rumored upgrade in processor speed. The phone could include a new A8 chip that will feature frequencies of 2.0 GHz or more, compared to the iPhone 5S' 1.3Ghz A7 processor.
Still, not everyone’s convinced the iPhone 6 will be pricier. ZDNet and Forbes say a 4.7 inch 32GB model will remain confined to Apple’s $199 pricing scheme.

*The iPhone 5C is an exception. The cheaper model was unveiled at $99 with contract last September.

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Is Rita Ora's Glam Nail Art the Most Expensive Manicure Ever

Credit: Instagram

Rita Ora's nail art at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards was gorgeous, glamorous, and totally chic, but it's not exactly the kind of manicure you can re-create at home! The singer's custom-made mani actually cost a whopping $56,000! Encrusted with diamonds, rubies, and handmade spider and bow charms, her Azature design practically deserved its own security guards!

As hard as it is to believe, Rita's over-the-top nail art isn't even the most expensive art we've ever heard of! Back in 2013, Kelly Osbourne went all out and wore a shocking $1 million mani designed by the same brand as part of a charity auction.

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Proof Demi Lovato Isn't Mad at Taylor Swift

After we heard the news that Demi Lovato ended her friendship with Selena Gomez partly because of Taylor Swift, we couldn't believe it! Thankfully, we now have proof that Demi and Taylor aren't fighting. At the 2014 MTV VMAs, Demi and Taylor were seated next to each other, and took the cutest selfie together.

When Demi posted the pic on Instagram, she gushed about how much she loved running into Taylor, writing, "Look who I got to see tonight!!!!"

Based on Demi's caption, it seems like she hadn't seen Taylor in a while. We think they shouldbecome shopping buddies again. That would be the cutest!

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Niall Horan Speaks Up About One Direction Breakup Rumors

Credit: Getty Images

Even though Simon Cowell reportedly claimed that One Direction will split up eventually, Niall Horan refuses to believe a 1D breakup is imminent. He told the Irish Sun that Simon was "clearly misquoted or something."

"We're going to go as long as we can go, as long as people want us we will be here. None of that rumors business," he said.

"I'm having a great time here, touring and having the [fun] with the lads — we are all still having a great time. We've got another album at the end of the year and doing our business as we do on a kind of yearly basis. I'm not thinking of what I have to do after just yet."

We're definitely excited for their new album (and their new sound), so we're happy that everyone is still so committed to the band — and that Simon probably didn't mean One Direction will break up soon. Niall has  responded to the 1D rumors before, but he genuinely seems to be enjoying his time with the rest of his bandmates.

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LG bets on pricey OLED technology as future of TVs

LG bets on pricey OLED technology as future of TVs

YOUKYUNG LEE

 Associated Press

LG Electronics Inc. announced two new giant OLED TVs with ultra-high definition screens Monday, sticking with its strategy of using the exceptionally expensive OLED display technology.
The South Korean company said it will ship 65-inch OLED TVs starting September in South Korea, Europe and North America. A 77-inch model will hit shelves later this year.
While major TV makers are pushing to make ultra HD TVs mainstream, they use LCD screens. The super-high resolution picture, also known as 4K, packs four times more pixels than regular HD televisions.
Making ultra HD quality TVs with OLED screens remain costly. LG's 65-inch model will cost 12 million won ($11,765). Other types of ultra HD televisions sell for less than $3,000.
OLED features deeper color saturation and a sharper image quality than LCD. But for years, its cost and high production error rate prevented the technology from catching on among mainstream consumers.
LG said it is committed to OLED because the cost will come down and its advanced screen will eventually replace LCD screens. It forecasts that OLED TV sales will overtake LCD TV sales "within a few years."
"OLED is where we must head next after PDP and LCD. It is a matter of time," Ha Hyun-hwoi, head of LG's TV business, told reporters.
LG's aggressive bet on OLED TVs is in contrast with its rival Samsung Electronics Co. After rolling out a 55-inch curved TV that uses an OLED display last year, Samsung has not announced an upgrade to its OLED TV for this year. Samsung uses OLED technology mostly for small devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers.

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Israel strikes kill 2 in Gaza

Israel strikes kill 2 in Gaza

A new round of Israeli airstrikes and tank fire pounded Gaza on Monday as officials in the coastal strip said two more Palestinian civilians died from the violence.
There has so far been no end in sight for the war, which has already killed more than 2,100 Palestinians since the fighting erupted on July 8.

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