GlacierTek Daily - July 30, 2015

Welcome to GlacierTek Daily, a brief look at today's news stories from the world of Science and Technology.

Windows 10 Brings Improvements & Disappointments

Microsoft's latest operating system has now been released to the masses, coming with many welcome improvements and upgrades, while simulataneously introducing features that aren't very popular. Many users reported a near seamless transition when making the upgrade with very few headaches, while some others reported crashes and errors. One of the first major disappointments from users was the transformation of Solitaire and other built-in games into "freemium" software, forcing users to sit through ads before being able to play unless they pay a $10/year to remove them. However, there is near universal praise for the re-introduction of the Start Menu, as well as the addition of features like mulitple desktops, improved search and settings, and the new Edge browser. 

Stay tuned to GlacierTek for a full review and check out Gizmodo's extensive coverage to see if you should make the switch.

Read more on Gizmodo... 

Germany Orders Facebook to allow Fake Names

The German Governemnt's privacy watchdog has ordered that social networking site Facebook must allow its citizens to use fake names when creating an account. The issue of fakes names has been around for years, with Facebook consistently shooting them down and forcing its users to use their real names. Reuters reports that the Hamburg-based data protection authority, which polices Facebook in Germany, “could not unilaterally change users’ chosen usernames to their real names, nor could it ask them for official ID.” The demand was spurred by a complaint from a woman, who reported that Facebook blocked her account, demanded ID, then changed her username to her real one. The woman argued that she didn’t want to use her real name for business reasons, and the watchodog claims that being forced to violates her privacy rights. Facebook has been through similar fights in the past over gender identification, where until recently, users were forced to choose between Male and Female.

Read more on Gizmodo...

Possible MH370 Debris Found in the Indian Ocean

Experts on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion say that a piece of aircraft debris that has washed up may be from the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which went missing on 8th March last year. According to the BBC aviation experts say that what has been found may be a “flaperon” - part of the wing from a Boeing 777, which is the type of plane that disappeared. What’s surprising is that Reunion (which belongs to France) is 6000km away from where authorities were previously searching off the west coast of Australia. It is actually much closer to Madagascar and Africa. This may not change the still on-going search though, as it is conceivable that one part could have floated off whilst the plane remains at the bottom of the ocean elsewhere.

Read more on Gizmodo...

PC Build Log: Finishing Touches & Overclocking

With Windows 8.1 installed, we immediately turned to installing the drivers and updates for the motherboard, WiFi card and Graphics card. At the same time, we used one of my favourite services, Ninite, to create a bundle of some of my preferred programs (Google Chrome, Steam, Skype, Spotify, 7-zip and more) and began installation.

With all of the necessary drivers installed and a few system reboots later, we were ready to dive into the BIOS settings, as well as overclocking. Luckily for us, MSI makes the process extremely simple with their OC Genie software. OC Genie automatically determines a stable overclock for your processor and graphics card based on known performance, available cooling and a host of other factors. This was perfect for me, as I had little experience overclocking and wanted to be able to play around with the settings on my own after we were finished. The AMD FX-8350 is rated for performance at 4.0GHz, however, OC Genie was able to get a stable overclock at 4.2GHz. We attempted to manually get a higher overclock (around 4.5 GHz), but the PC wasn't having it, crashing a few minutes afterwards.

But, I was extremely satisfied with the result. With Windows installed on the SSD, in combination with the speedy processor and MSI's Fast Boot allows the system to be powered up in less than ten seconds, a far cry from my old HP Pavillion notebook ususally booting in about 30-45 seconds.

Cooling was a big consideration in the build, especially since I didn't know if I would be overclocking at first and if my residence building at university would have air conditioning. Luckily, my case's fans, the Asus Grpahics card cooler and the Hyper 212 EVO seem to be keeping my system consistently cool. Using MSI's Control Centre, setting all of the fans to maximum whe the PC is idle will keep both the CPU and motherboard around 25°C. Under load, the CPU will often rise to around 35-45°C and Graphics card will often rise to between 50-60°C, however, this was expected and is still well within the safe operating temperatures of both.

Be sure to check out Part 5: Benchmarking - Next Wednesday at 12PM

GlacierTek Daily - July 29, 2015

Welcome to GlacierTek Daily, a brief look at today's news stories from the world of Science and Technology.

Windows 10 Officially Launches Today

After months of hype from Microsoft about its brand new operating system, Windows 10, it finally launches to the general public this morning. Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users who reserved their copy in advance will be among the first to receive their upgrade, after insiders and reviewers received theirs over the last few days. Off the shelf and standalone versions of the operating system will be available for purchase in early August. Microsoft has set its target at 1 Billions users of Windows 10 by 2018, which may indeed be possible. Over 300 million new devices are shipped every year with Windows pre-installed. Along with the over 600 million devices that currently run Windows 7 or 8.1, that goal is easily in sight. Richard Doherty, an analyst with the Envisioneering Group, says that approximately one third of consumers that are eligible will make the upgrade within the first few months, which are most likely enthusiasts and those looking to have the latest and greatest. Whereas the other two thirds, mainly business customers and general consumers, will wait until bugs and other issues are flushed out before making the switch.  

Read more on USA Today... 

Facebook under fire for Facial Recognition Privacy Concerns

Facebook is facing a pending lawsuit that argues that the social media network did not notify its users upon updating its terms of service stating that it will collect facial data on users that are tagged in photos. The company is standing behind their claim that the photo tagging service used by many users across its platform, enhances the entire user experience. Privacy advocates are arguing that Facebook’s facial recognition software which is a form of biometrics, that works by assigning numbers to physical characteristics on a photo, should only be used with explicit permission from its users. Facebook’s photo tagging tool can find the distance between a subjects eyes, nose and ears that will in turn assign a number as a faceprint. Regulators in Canada and Europe have ordered the software to be shut off.

Read more on TechMalak...

Qualcomm reveals improved Wireless Charging Technology

Rezence, Qualcomm's vehicle into the world of wireless charging has passed a significant milestone: it will now work with phones that have metal backs. Wireless Charging has two main players vying for dominance: Rezence, backed by the Alliance for Wireless Power including Qualcomm, Samsung, Intel, Duracell, EnergyStar, and AT&T, and Qi, backed by the Wireless Power Consortium including Asus, HTC, Motorola, Nokia, Blackberry and Sony. Qi had an early lead with phones like Google's Nexus devices, and Nokia's Lumia devices. Rezence has been trying to break into the marketplace, and offers advantages like larger charging plates, allowing multiple devices to charge at the same time, but until now, the devices have been limited to those with plastic backs. 

Read more on Gizmodo...

Japanese Researchers fire World's Most Powerful Laser

Scientists at Osaka University in Japan have successfully fired a laser with a power of approximately 2 quadrillion watts, that's 2,000,000,000,000,000 watts. Although the laser actually uses more power than the entire capacity of the earth's power grid (for now, at least), it will only be fired for fractions of a second. Also called 2 petawatts,  Laser for Fast Ignition Experiments actually only used a few hundred Joules for this first trial run—about as much as a microwave oven uses in a few seconds. The high powers are generated not with huge currents, then, but by amplifying the signal through a series of glass lamps over the span of its 300-foot length. “With heated competition in the world to improve the performance of lasers, our goal now is to increase our output to 10 petawatts,” Junji Kawanaka, one of the researchers, explained in a press release. 

Read more on Gizmodo...

GlacierTek Daily - July 28, 2015

Welcome to GlacierTek Daily, a brief look at today's news stories from the world of Science and Technology.

Windows 10 revealed to share WiFi Passwords with Contacts

The new release of Microsoft Windows is coming with a feature that has many users up in arms. By default, Windows 10 will share all of the WiFi passwords stored on your PC with your contacts, including those on Skype and Facebook. Called WiFi Sense, the feature has already been integrated into Windows Phone 8.1, but until now, has not been rolled out onto the desktop. The feature is designed to make it easier for you and your friends to connect to each other's WiFi networks without having to share your password with them directly. The feature can be turned off, which will come as a sigh of relief to those who accused it as being a major security risk.

Read more on Digital Journal... 

Sydney, Australia rolls out E-Ink Traffic Signs

Low power, easy to read E-Ink displays, popular on e-readers and tablets, are now being used on the streets of Sydney, Australia. The displays, which are designed to be read in multiple lighting conditions, and are ideal for displaying information that doesn't change very often, is now the weapon of choice for the Australian Road and Maritime Services. Powered by solar energy, the new signs can be updated remotely using 3G and over-the-air updates, and offer much greater flexibility during temoporary and special events requiring different traffic and parking requirements.

Read more on Gizmodo...

Fiat Chrysler could be hit with $105 Million Fine over Recall

Fiat Chrysler faces being slapped with a record fine from regulators after a litany of recalls. Earlier this week, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was forced to recall 1.4 million Fiat Chrysler vehicles, following revelations that the computer systems built into the cars could be exploited by an attacker. Shockingly, the affected motor's engine, brakes and entertainment system could then be wirelessly controlled by a hacker. Fiat Chrysler could be hit with a fine as high as $105m as early as Monday, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

Read more on The Register...

GlacierTek Daily - July 27, 2015

Welcome to GlacierTek Daily, a brief look at today's news stories from the world of Science and Technology.

Steam Accounts hijacked after Security Lapse

Due to an apparent lapse in parent company Valve's security, several Steam accounts were hijacked over the course of several days last week, leaving users unable to login. A "bug", as Valve describes it, was brought to light last week and was promptly patched, but not before many prominent streamers and pros had their accounts hacked and their passwords changed. Prior to the patch, a hacker could use the "Lost Password" form to simply type in the account name they wanted to hijack and, without authorization or even a notification to the associated email address, could come up with a new password on the spot and login. In response, Valve fixed the problem and reset all of the accounts showing suspicious password changes over the last week, sending new passwords to the email of the affected user.

Read more on Kotaku...

Four Airlines accused of Raising Prices after Amtrak Crash

Four prominent airlines in the United States - Delta, American, Southwest and JetBlue, have all been accused of increasing ticket prices to take advantage of the deadly Amtrak crash which took place in May in Philadelphia. The crash, which brought the northeast railway system to a halt, lead to the deaths of eight passengers and dozens of injuries. According to consumer complaints, many rail passengers who turned to air travel instead were met with higher than normal prices in an apparent attempt to profit off of the tragedy. The US Department of Transportation has already begun an investigation into the incident.

Read more on Gawker...

New Zealand Man builds "Skysphere" Retreat

Engineer and tech enthusiast Jono Williams designed and built his own retreat in the New Zealand countryside, the ultimate man cave and tree house combination he calls the "Skysphere". Mounted on top of a 10m high steel tower, and powered by custom built electronics and an Android app, the getaway is a nerd's dream, including a wireless sound system, LED lighting, fingerprint security system, and custom beer fridge, all of which can be controlled through the App with voice commands. Willaims, who is a plastics engineer and runs his own IT company, says that because he works so much, he wanted a place where he could truly relax and enjoy his downtime.

Read more on Gizmodo...

Ninetendo's Wii U TVii Shutting Down

After almost three years, Nintendo is shutting down the TVii feature for the Wii U console. Originally designed to allow users to interact with their cable box through the console, TVii was one of the most promoted and talked about features of the Wii U prior to launch, only to disappoint. Nintendo TVii promised to turn television watching into a robust social experience, tracking user’s favorite shows, making suggestions based on familial preferences, integrating with all of the major streaming video services, programming DVR recordings and acting as a second screen experience on the Wii U game pad. The failure to live up to the hype was also increased by the launch of the Xbox One, and its superior execution of the concept. Wii U TVii wil offically go off the air on August 11th.

Read more on Kotaku...

Sades Wolfgang USB Gaming Headset Review

Shortly after purchasing my last laptop, I promptly broke the 3.5mm headphone jack. It could still be used, but you had to hold the plug in place and at just the right angle for the sound to actually come through. At that point, I decided to ditch traditonal headphones for computing and switch to an alternative. First I tried Bluetooth, which turned out to be a poor decision, having to go through a lengthy connection process every time I wanted to listen to something. Then, I delved into the world of USB Headsets. I've owned quite a few pairs over the years from many different manufacturers and best pair I've ever owned is also the pair I currently use as my daily driver.

What is it?

The Wolfgang USB Gaming Headset from Sades. Featuring 7.1 Surround Sound audio, braided USB cable, in-line volume controls and a built-in microphone, the Wolfgang is a headset designed with gaming in mind. As the title suggests, this headset uses a USB sound card instead of traditional 3.5mm connectors, allowing for superior audio quality.

Comfort isn't overlooked, as the Wolfgang also features soft and breathable leather ear cups as well as a padded headband, allowing for long periods of use. Speaking of which, the headband can be adjusted into nine different configurations to accomodate almost any user.

For less than $40 CAD (or $25 USD), it's a budget headset that promises high quality and robustness.

Design

The headset features a very attractive black and blue colour scheme, from the leather on the headband, to the plastic shell, to the braided USB cable. The briaded cable is a nice touch, elimiating issues like kinking and breakage found in other USB headsets. It's also over a meter long, providing excellent connectivity for desktop users. The USB connector itself is a little bulky, and can inhibit the use of other USB ports on each side if any are present (like on a laptop). 

The built-in, retractable noise cancelling microphone is perfect for gaming, as well as video calling and audio recording. When not in use, the microphine can be pushed back into a hidden storage compartment. 

Using It

During long gaming sessions, the Wolfgang holds up very well, in both performance and comfort. The most important part of any headset is, of course, the ear cups. The soft leather not only creates an excellent noise cancelling seal, it also ensures that my ears remain comfortable for multiple hours, an issue I've had in the past with other headsets.

The sound quality is amazing. I can't stand listening to anything on my computer with traditional headphones anymore, especically when it comes to audio with heavy bass. The surround sound and built-in sound card really do live up to their promise. From HD movies, to YouTube videos, to music, to gaming, the Wolfgang holds up very well for a headset at its price point.

The microphone also performs like a champion, and I've used it several times to record videos and make Skype calls.

Like

It's all pretty much spelled out above.

No Like

As I mentioned earlier, with the size of the USB plug caused a few issues when trying to plug in USB drives and otehr devices in a USB port right next to it. Although the braided cable is awesome, it can get some significant kinks in it over time if the headphones rotate. 

Should You Buy It?

If you're a Gamer on a budget looking for a USB Headset, then yes, absolutely. The average consumer would probably find it too bulky for everyday use, and would might prefer ear buds or a traditional pair of headphones instead. 

Overall Rating: 4/5

Website: http://www.sades.us/product/wolfang/

Buy it on Amazon:

• Canada (37$): http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00KHE3PQK
• United States (23$): http://www.amazon.com/Sades-Surround-Headset-Headband-Headphone/dp/B00HLUZXAY

How To: Easily Unsubscribe from Email Lists

Let's be honest, you subscribe to too many company newsletters. Whether its to be entered in a contest, you feel guilty, or it's checked by default when signing up for an account and you just don't realise it. You've probably subscribed to hundreds of them and you've just gotten in the habbit of deleting them or sending them to spam immediately.

Going to every website and manually unsuscribing takes too long and the companies will often make you take an "exit survey" to find out why you've decided to leave.  

That's where Unroll.me comes in, a no nonsense, free service that allows you to view all of your email subscriptions in one place and delete the ones you don't care about.



TL;DW:

1. Go to Unroll.me
2. Sign up by connecting your email account
3. Go to "Edit Subscriptions"
4. Check off what you'd like to unsubscribe from

GlacierTek Daily - July 24, 2015

Welcome to GlacierTek Daily, a brief look at today's news stories from the world of Science and Technology.

Details on Motorola's next Smartphone Leaked

Eagled-eyed fans of Motorola caught a glimpse at their latest smartphone this morning. For a brief time, the Moto Maker page, allowing users to customize their phones, listed the not yet released Moto G as an option, along with its specifications. The new Moto G will come standard with a full HD screen, Snapdragon 410 processor, 2GB of RAM, 13MP rear camera, 8 or 16GB of storage, Micro-SD expansion and LTE connectivity. Unlike the previous two models, the updated Moto G can be customized to suit the user's taste, such as the colour of the front and back housings, accent colour, and can even be preloaded with the background of your choice. No word of price yet, but it should remain in the same $200 ballpark as the previous iterations.

Read more on Gizmodo...

US Officials request investigation into Hillary Clinton over Email Scandal

The drama surrounding Hillary Clinton's email accounts countinue, as government officials request that she be placed under investigation by the Justice Department. Two inspector generals formally submitted their request for a full criminal investigation into Clinton's use of private, unsecure email accounts during her time as Secretary of State. No decision by the Justice Department on whether or not to pursue the investigation has been made, however, Clinton continues to deny that there wasn't any classified information on her email servers. The contents of the accounts have slowly become public at Clinton's request as the State Department sorts through the over 55,000 emails. 

Read more on Gizmodo...

US Judge revives fight against AT&T for Overcharging Schools

The Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia has revived a seven year old fight between a Wisconsin Telecom Consulatant and one of America's largest telecom companies. Todd Heath has been waging war against AT&T for alledgedly overcharging schools and libraries for internet access. In 1997, a government program known as E-Rate was established to subsidize internet access for schools and librairies, ensuring that poor students would have the same access to technology as richer students. Internet Service Providers like AT&T were instrcuted to provide the lowest rates offered to compariable customers, however, Heath claims that they went back on their promise and have been defrauding the government for over a decade. 

Read more on Gizmodo...

GlacierTek Daily - July 23, 2015

Welcome to GlacierTek Daily, a brief look at today's news stories from the world of Science and Technology.

CRTC orders Internet Providers to share Fibre Optics Networks

Canada's Telecommunications regulator has ordered that the country's biggest providers must share their fibre opitcs networks with smaller carriers, a move cheered by those who only have access to older infastructure. "This measure will ensure that Canadians have more choice for high-speed Internet services and are able to fully leverage the benefits of the broadband home or business," the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) stated. Phone companies like Bell and Cable companies like Rogers and Shaw have slowly been converting their old copper and coaxial-based infastructure to fibre optics, allowing for more data to be delivered at higher speeds. However, small companies who buy access to their networks and offer competitive rates to consumers have, until now, been shut out.

Read more on TorontoSun...

Windows 10 integrates Video Capturing into OS

A previously unknown and hidden feature within Microsoft's latest operating system has caused quite a buzz. Similar to how current Windows users can take a single screenshot of their desktop, Windows 10 will introduce video capturing by default. In the past, both paid and free software have been available for capturing video of your desktop. Now, it seems Microsoft is removing the middle man out of the equation with its new Game DVR, designed to allow gamers to records and stream their PC Gaming easily, but can also be used for recording anything you do on your desktop.

Read more on Gizmodo...

Twitch commits to killing Flash

Twitch, the extremely popular live streaming website, has become the most recent combattant in the war against Adobe Flash. Following the lead of Mozilla and Google, Twitch will make the swtich to HTML5, the preferred and much more secure alternative to Flash. Recently aquired by Amazon, Twitch has become a live streaming giant, gaining a reputation as the leading website for gamers looking to share their content.

Read more on Gizmodo...

NYC surrenders in war against Uber

New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio and car-sharing service Uber have made a deal that halt splans on legislation that would cap its growth. NYC had seriously considered introduing "Uber Cap" legislation, limiting the number of Uber cars that could be in service within the city. The city, now with Uber's cooperation, will conduct a study on how its business affects traffic conditions and other vehicle-for-hire services like taxi companies. For the time being, the city will refrain from limiting Uber's growth, but reserves the right to do so in the future. Uber had aggressively attacked the plan through social media and its app, informing users of what was happening and how it would affect its service, and garnering the attention of celebrities like Kate Upton and Niel Patrick Harris as well as Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo, all of which were outspoken against the planned legislation.

Read more on Gizmodo...

GlacierTek Daily - July 22, 2015

Welcome to GlacierTek Daily, a brief look at today's news stories from the world of Science and Technology.

Toshiba fakes $1.2 Billion in Profits

In a massive scandal, Toshiba CEO Hisao Tanaka and his immediate underlings were confirmed to have taken part in a book-fixing scheme showing an additional $1.2 Billion in profits over the course of several years. Tanaka, along with vice chairman Norio Sasaki and adviser Atsutoshi Nishida have all resigned from their positions, putting the status of one of the largest technology companies in the world in question. After falling short of expectations as far back as 2008, Toshiba was pressured to increase profits or risk a complete collapse. According to Toshiba, no individual in the scandal gained any personal wealth, as the intention was to save the company, rather than line their own pockets. 

Read more on Phandroid...

Google launches Timeline feature for Maps

Google is rolling out a new feature to its Maps app for Android and desktop, allowing users to see their location history over time. Dubbed Timeline, the feature runs in the background, using GPS, WiFi, and mobile data to track your location. Users can then look into where they've been, which, as Google points out, can be a useful tool for remembering a restaurant or bar you've stumbled across, tracking your daily commute, or finding out how much distance you covered on your run. Timeline also integrates with other services like Google Photos, allowing users to look up their photos based on location. Of course, for those who would rather not have their every move recorded, the feature can be easily shut off. 

Read more on Gizmodo...

Malaysia Censoring the Internet

The Malaysian government has officially acknowledged that, after making commitments to the contrary, it has censored certain websites within the country. The UK-based news website the Sarawak Report was blocked in Malaysia on July 19, 2015 upon orders from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and currently remains inaccessible unless using a mobile device or VPN. The Sarawak Report had made allegations that Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak had suspiciously received over $700 million in his personal bank account from a Malaysian state investment fund. The MCMC ordered Malaysia’s Internet service providers to take the site down after it published news on the bank transfer allegations, though reports suggest the block has been unevenly enforced. The MCMC’s rationale for their order was that the site has published “unverified information” and posed a threat to “national security.”  This goes back on the Prime Minister's promise in 2011 committing to end all internet censorship within the country.

Read more on Gizmodo...

Half of Australia's Digital Users Download Illegal Content

According to a new government study, over half of Australians who use the internet have illegally downloaded movies, TV shows, and music on a regular basis. Due to the high cost and difference in release times for content in Australia versus North America or Europe, Australians instead turn to illegally obtained copies on the internet. In comparison, a similar study in the United Kingdom found that just 20% of internet users had downloaded any illegal content. Back in April, an Australian court ordered that internet service providers had to turn over records of any user who had downloaded the movie Dallas Buyers Club, after thousands illegally downloaded it after its release.

Read more on BBC...

PC Build Log: The Build

I decided to order most of the parts through Newegg Canada, who offered great deals on my chosen parts as well as replacement gaurantees in case any of them weren't up to snuff. After receiving the majority of the parts in the mail, the aniticipation and excitement of the impending build was almost unbearable. While waiting on the last box to arrive from the United States, I was able to coordinate with a good friend of mine, who has past experience in building computers, to have him give me a hand.

Stage 1: Motherboard Set Up

Once the  MSI 970 Gaming motherboard was out of it's antistatic bag, we started off with installing the AMD FX-8350 processor. Once it was locked into place, we turned to the cooler. The pre-isntalled cooling brackes had to be removed and were then replaced with the provided hardware to accompany the Hyper 212 EVO. This turned out to be one of the trickist parts of the build, both getting the cooler in the right configuration as well as gently installing it on the processor. After indetifying the dual channel RAM slots, the 8GB kit was installed as well.

Stage 2: Installation in the Case

Next, is was time to open up the case. First we installed the power supply with the air intake facing down to take advantage of the filtered intake on the bottom of the case. The motherboard's I/O shield was popped into place, followed by fitting the board itself and lining it up with the nine standoffs for mounting. Prior the final mounting, power cabes were run through management slots and inserted to avoid issues later on in the build. At this point, front audio, USB, power, reset, case speaker, LEDs and fans were all connected.

Stage 3: Drive Mounting

Next up was the installation of the three drives. First was the 256GB SSD, that would act as the boot drive, followed by the 500GB HDD for storage. The case feautres both 2.5" and 3.5" drive bays with tool-less installation sleds, making the entire process very simple. The story was similar when it came to the 5.25" DVD drive as well. SATA power and data cables were then all connected.

Stage 4: WiFi & Graphics Card Insertion

Next, three PCI slot covers were popped out to make room for both the D-link WiFi card (a late addition to the build) as well as the Radeon R7 370, which would take up two slots. Both were inserted into their respective PCI slots, secured with screws, and power was then connected to the graphics cards

Stage 5: Wiring

Finally, a little bit of cable management was done to remove any unecessary cables, reduce clutter and prevent any issues with cooling circuation.

Stage 6: First Boot

With everything ready, the machine booted up for the first time and we were greated with both the beautiful sight of the colourful LED fans and the MSI BIOS. After inserting a Windows 8.1 Installation USB stick and a quick reset, Windows then began installation. 

Be sure to check out Part 4: Benchmarking - Next Wednesday at 12PM

GlacierTek Daily - July 21, 2015

Welcome to GlacierTek Daily, a brief look at today's news stories from the world of Science and Technology.

Twitter removes Background Images

Twitter surprisingly announced Monday that they have disabled background images all for its users profiles. According to the social network, the move was made to standardize its interface across the board, opting for a simple white colour scheme. Although pages that are available to the public, such as your public profile, will remain the same, the pages that are only accessible through your Twitter account such as your dashboard, settings, etc will now be forced to use the plain white background. Strong backlash against the move from the public has already has already begun, which may prompt Twitter to do an about face. 

Read more on DailyStar...

Stephen Hawking backs $100M search for Alien Life

Stephen Hawking has announced that he has donated $100 million to The Breakthrough Listen project, earth's latest attempt to contact alien life. The mission will use two of the largest radio telescopes on earth — the Green Bank Observatory and the Parkes Observatory, and will, over the course of thousands of hours, will scan for extraterrestial signals. Hawking says: “It’s time to commit to finding the answer, to search for life beyond Earth. Mankind has a deep need to explore, to learn, to know. We also happen to be sociable creatures. It is important for us to know if we are alone in the dark.” The money for the project is being entirely donated by Russian businessman Yuri Milner.

Read more on Gizmodo...

Samsung launches new Enterprise SSDs

Samsung, keeping its reputation as a world leader in electronics, as announced the release of its new lineup of high-performance Solid State Drives (SSDs). targeted mainly at small and medium sized businesses. The PM863 is geared mainly for content delivery networks/streaming, while the SM863 more towards online transaction processing/email servers. With higher capacity and speed, both new drives can have as much as 3.8TB of storage, sequential read speeds of (up to) 520MB/s, sequential write speeds of (up to) 485MB/s, and are designed to withstand the heavy demand of data centre usage.

Read more on TheSSDReview...

Robotics Surgery now linked to 144 Deaths over 14 years

A new study of U.S. Food and Drug Administration data reveals that a variety of malfunctions have been linked to 144 deaths during robotic surgery in the last 14 years. Researches at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, MIT and Rush University Medical Center made the discovery after sifting through FDA data, including reports of equipment arcing or sparking during procedures causing burns, and broken pieces falling onto patients. Although there were 144 reported deaths between 2000 and 2013 that can directly linked to robotic surgery, over 1.7 million procedures have been carried out over that time frame.

Read more on Gizmodo...

GlacierTek Daily - July 20, 2015

Welcome to GlacierTek Daily, a brief look at today's news stories from the world of Science and Technology.

The Galaxy Tab S2 - Samsung's Next Flagshp Tablet

Samsung has released details on their next flagship tablet and successor to the Galaxy Tab S. The Galaxy S2 will come in two sizes, 8-inch and 9.7-inch, both sporting 2048x1536 Super AMOLED displays. Under the hood, the tablet will feature an octocore processor, one quad-core clocked at 1.9GHz and the other clocked at 1.3GHz, 3GB of RAM, 32/64GB of storage, a micro-SD card slot for expansion and WiFi/LTE connectivity. The S2 will also be running a modified version of Android 5.0 with Samsung's TouchWiz skin. The biggest change between the S2 and its predecessor will be its thickness and weight, with a much thinner, lightweight metal casing. Pricing and availability are expected to be announced in August.

Read more on Gizmodo...

WW2 Bomb washes up on Florida beach

A M122 photoflash bomb from World War II surprisingly washed up on the beaches of St. Pete Beach, Florida this weekend. After evacuating the surrounding homes and beaches, a bomb squad from United States Air Force at MacDill Air Force Base were dispatched to safely detonate the weapon, attracting a large crowd of onlookers.  At over 100 lbs and 55 inches long, the M122 was designed to emit very bright flashes of light once dropped from an aircraft, to help the military with nighttime aerial photography. They’re no longer used by the United States Military.

Read more on Gizmodo...

Facebook Messenger now available without a Facebook Account

Facebook announced last week that, after allowing anyone in the US, Canada, Venezuela and Peru to use it's Messenger app without having a Facebook account, it's now expanding that functionality worldwide. Signing up using a name and phone number is still required, and while Facebook still recommends creating a full account, removing that barrier will likely cause an influx of new users to flock to the increasingly popular messaging app. In an announcment last week, Messenger was revealed to have more mobile users than Facebook itself, and now with no account required, that isn't likely to change.

Read more on TheNextWeb...

Ashley Madison hacked

A group of hackers who call themselves "The Impact Team" are claiming to have the indentities and personal details of over 37 million users on the dating website Ashley Madison. The website, known for protecting its users anonimity and privacy, confirmed that their systems were breached and have taken approriate measures to fix it as well as work with authorities to trace the attack. The group claims that Ashley Madision, who has a reputation for being used to cheat on spouses and to solicite intercourse, has kept the personal data that it promised to delete, including names, credit card information, conversations between users, and nude photos. The hacking group demands that Ashley Madison cease operations immediately or they will release the information, from which, they have already leaked snippets to prove their claims.

Read more on TorontoSun.ca...

Google Chromecast Review

There have been very few instances in my life where I had to have something. One example that sticks out in my mind was the LEGO Star Wars video game for the Original Xbox. Ever since those days back in 2005, there haven’t been many other items that I just had to have. In my opinion, 95% of consumer electronics are luxuries, something to want, but, you don’t necessarily need it. On July 24th, 2013, Google announced a revolutionary piece of tech, and I discovered something that I needed to have, and really, everyone should have.

What is it?

The Chromecast from Google is a streaming media player built to transform any HDMI-equipped television into a Smart TV, with the ability to stream movies, tv shows, music, photos and more.

A little larger than a USB Stick, the Chromecast can stream content from over a dozen live and on-demand video providers, including YouTube, Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO Go, CTV Go, UFC TV, NFL Game Pass, MLB TV, TED, Sesame Street Go, Twitch, and NBA Game Time. Not only that, it also features apps like Google Slides for presentations, Google Play Music, TuneIn Radio, Rdio for music streaming, and gaming apps like Monopoly, Scrabble, Connect 4, and Wheel of Fortune.

Retailing for just $39 CAD ($30 USD), it’s not only one of the cheapest streaming media players out there, it comes with Google’s seal of approval with access to some of the biggest names in digital entertainment.

Design

The Chromecast’s extremely simple design features an all-black chassis, a small white LED indicator light, a reset button, a micro-USB port on one end to power it  and of course, the HDMI plug at the opposite end.

The included 1ft HDMI extension cable allows the Chromecast to be plugged into a hard to reach HDMI port and the included micro-USB cable and wall adaptor allows the device to be plugged in anywhere, either through a standard wall jack or through a powered USB port on the TV.

Using It

It’s important to note that there aren’t any apps on the Chromecast itself. It’s software, a modified version of Google’s Android OS, only has a very basic interface and cannot stream any content without a phone, tablet or computer to control it.

To “Cast” content, first you’ll need the Chromecast App for Android, iOS, or Windows to set-up your device. Once you name it and it connects to the internet, you’re all set to start Casting. Open up a compatible app and look for the small casting icon at the top of the screen. After tapping it, select your Chromecast as your casting device. Now, select the content you want to stream and enjoy!

Google has done their best to make the entire process as simple as possible and making the API available for developers to integrate into their own apps. As time goes on, expect more Chromecast-compatible apps to start showing up on Google Play and the Apple App Store.

Like

What’s not to like? A Great device for a stupidly low price.

No Like

Absolutely nothing.

Should You Buy It?

Do you own a non-Smart TV? Do you have $40? Then yes, absolutely!

Overall Rating: 5/5

Website: http://www.google.ca/chrome/devices/chromecast/

Buy it on Amazon:

• Canada ($39): http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00IT92PR0
• United States ($30): http://www.amazon.com/Google-Chromecast-Streaming-Media-Player/dp/B00DR0PDNE

GlacierTek Daily - July 17, 2015

Welcome to GlacierTek Daily, a brief look at today's news stories from the world of Science and Technology.

Apple wants to show Ads based on your Bank Account Balance

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has awarded Apple the patent on a new targeted advertisement technology, allowing them to show you ads based on how much money you have in your bank account. According to the patent, Apple’s new invention is designed “to analyze the user’s available credit in order to assess the likelihood of a user being able to purchase advertised goods and/or services. An advantage of such targeted advertising is that only advertisements for goods and services which particular users can afford, are delivered to these users.” This new development appears to be a reversal of policy, as Apple has been a fierce advocate against data collection for targeting ads at its users, and has been vocal against Google's targeted advertisements for many years.

Read more on Gizmodo...IBM's Watson can now identify the Attitude in your Wiriting

Now taking a break from winning on Jeopardy and treating cancer, Watson is now analyzing our writing. The supercomputer is being trained to judge the tone in people's messages and can provide feedback on how to improve it. By sifting through phrases and words, Watson can assocate each one with a particular social tone, such as cheerful, negative, or angry and will then use that data to decide on the overall emotion conveyed in the message, suggesting replacement words or phrases to coincide with the desired tone.

Read more on Gizmodo...

Windows 10 begins to kill off Installation DVDs 

The newest release of Microisoft Windows will bring many new changes, inlcuding the shift from DVDs to USB drives to install the operating system. For decades, Windows has always been distributed via a disc for consumers, either via CD-ROM or DVD, however, Windows 10 will be the first operating system from Microsoft to ship via both DVDs and USB drives. With fewer computers featuring DVD drives and the decline of dics as storage media, the transition to cheaper, more robust USB drives was expected eventually. Windows 10 USB drives will come with the same $120 price tag as its DVD counterparts and will be available in early to mid August.

Read more on Gizmodo...

Google Self-Driving Car involved in Collision causing Injuries

For the first time, one of Google's self-driving Lexus SUVs was involved in a collision causing minor injuries. In one of only 14 accidents in 6 years, the SUV was rear-ended on July 1st, causing minor injruies to three Google employees. Under California law, there must be an individual in the drivers seat of a self-driving car on public roads to take control in an emergency, and in this case, there were also two other individuals with laptops collecting data. All three complained of minor whiplash and were cleared to return to work after being checked at a local hospital. The driver of the other vehical also complained of neck and back pain. After traveling over 1.9 million miles on public roads, the self-driving cars have never caused any of the collisions they were involved in, the only exception being when one of the vehicles was being controlled by the driver. 

Read more on CBC.ca...

Missing the Windows 10 Upgrade Icon?

Windows 10 will be launching this month, and if you're currently using Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you'll be receiving a free upgrade!.

Problem is, many people have been experiencing issues in reserving their free copy of Windows 10. Microsoft assured that all eligigle users would see an icon in their taskbar that would allow them to reserve their upgrade after receving the latest updates. Unfortuantely, the appareance of this icon has been sporatic, especially among Windows 8.1 users.

Today's topic: How to get the Windows 10 Upgrade Icon if its Missing.

TL;DW

1. Go to https://www.dropbox.com/s/0u0au9xgy6ss18p/win10fix_full.zip?dl=0 
2. Download the script and unzip
3. Run the script as the Administrator
4. Run the Compatibility Check
5. If you've downloaded all necessary updates, run fix method #1
1. If updates are required, run Windows Update
2. If method #1 doesn't work, run method #2
3. If method #2 doesn't work, run long method #1
6. The icon should now appear and you can reserve your copy of Windows 10

GlacierTek Daily - July 16, 2015

Welcome to GlacierTek Daily, a brief look at today's news stories from the world of Science and Technology.

Apple unveils updated iPod Touch

In a surprise move, Apple has launched the newest version of the popular iPod Touch. Featuring the same processor as it's iPhone 6 as well as improved WiFi, fitness tracking, and camera, the update also includes a new set of colours for it's entire iPod lineup: gold, silver, grey, pink, and blue. Starting at $199 for the 16GB version, Apple might be hoping to reinvigorate its iPod line, which together with the Nano and Shuffle, only represents a small portions of current profits.

Read more on Wall Street Journal...

Groups looking to Smartphones for Online Authentication


The FIDO (Fast IDentity Online) Alliance and the Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group) have come to an agreement to begin using smartphones as a means to verify your identity online. With the rise of U2F (Universal Two-Factor) Authentication, a method in which both a password/phrase and a physical object, such as a special USB key, are required to sign into an account, many have raised the question as to why the object people carry around all the time, a smartphone, can't be used instead. The memorandum of understanding between The FIDO Alliance, whose goal is to promote the use of U2F and is comprised of over 200 members including banks , credit card companies, technology companies and websites, and the Bluetooth SIG, responsible for licensing and developing Bluetooth technology and comprised of over 20,000 members including smartphone and computer manufacturers, is an important step towards wider use U2F.

Read more on ZDNet...

Google adding "Buy Now" Button to Search

Google announced today that, in an effort to make it easier for people to shop, it will be adding a "Buy Now" button in the Google Search results. The idea is that a user won't ever have to leave the Google Search page in order to make a purchase, which comes on the heels of both Facebook and Pinterest announcing that they are adding similar features to their websites as well. Google says that retailers understand that the average consumer now consults their smartphone to research a purchase before making it, and are eager to allow them to purchase their desired item quicker and easier directly through Google Search. The new system allows consumers to use their Google Wallet account with a pre-approved credit or debit card to make the purchase in matter of seconds.

Read more on TheStar.com...

Blackberry purchases Android-related Domain Names

Further fueling rumours that the next lineup of Blackberry devices will feature Google's Android operating system, multiple blogs have confirmed that Blackberry Limited has purchased two new domain names: “AndroidSecured.com” and “AndroidSecured.net.” Both domain names currently redirect to Blackberry's landing page detailing their new partnership with Google to bring their suite of mobile security and productivity tools to Google Play for Work. However, many are also speculating that this could hint at the main focus of Blackberry's upcoming devices, codenamed "Venice" and "Dallas", targeting enterprise and business users with a strong focus on security. BES (Blackberry Enterprise Server) 12 and Blackberry devices are still the primary choice for governments and companies looking for maximum security (it's the only device the President of the United States is currently allowed to use) and a switch to Android would be a major coup for Google.

Read more on MobileMarketingWatch.com...

GlacierTek Daily - July 15, 2015

Welcome to GlacierTek Daily, a brief look at today's news stories from the world of Science and Technology.

Amazon's Prime Day brings Bigger Deals than Black Friday

Amazon is celebrating it's 20th birthday today by treating it's Prime members to hundreds of "Lightning Deals" throughout the day. Prices on everything from electronics to kitchenware will be slashed. In addition, Amazon gift cards and credit will be offered for free as a reward for certain purchases or for spending a certain amount. Some popualr items on sale include Amazon's own Fire Stick, only $24 today ($15 off) and the Kindle E-Reader for only $49 ($30 off). Check out Kinja Deals below or on Twitter for live updates on new deals being released every half hour.

Read more on Kinja Deals...

Best Buy (Accidentally) Sold $200 Gift Cards for $15 

As Amazon and Walmart were ramping up for huge sales early Wednesday morning, Best Buy shoppers came across a deal almost too good to be true. $200 Gift Cards were being sold online for just $15, thanks to what appears to be a technical glitch. Multiple shoppers were able to confirm their purchases before Best Buy was able to fix the issue. Although it is possible that the mistaken deal could be given Best Buy's stamp of approval, their policy still allows them to cancel a purchase due to a pricing mistake.

Read more on Gizmodo...

Turing Robotics launches Security-Centric Smartphone

Turing Robotics has announced the launch of it's new device, the Turing Phone, designed to be extremely durable and ultra secure. Featuring a 5.5" HD display, Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM and 16GB, 64GB or 128GB storage options, the Turing phone is also lacking in a 3.5mm headphone jack or micro-USB port. Instead, the phone features a proprietary connector to increase security as well as a fingerprint sensor and a heavily modified version of Android 5.1. Turing's version of Android features entirely proprietary apps, all with built-in encryption with an offline private encryption key stored on the device. Pre-orders will start July 31st at $610 for the 16GB version.

Read more on Gizmodo...

New Images of Pluto Released

Now that New Horizons' survey and study of Pluto is complete, images are now being transimitted to earth. Over the course of the next 16 months, data from the last few days of New Horizons' mission will be sent back to NASA, however, new high resolution images arrived first, transforming our view of the dwarf planet and providing astronomers with new information to study for years to come. New Horizons' will continue it's mission into the Keiper Belt, surveying thousands of objects at the edge of our solar system never before seen by human eyes.

Read more on TheStar.com...

GlacierTek Daily - July 14th, 2015

Welcome to GlacierTek Daily, a brief look at today's news stories from the world of Science and Technology.

NASA New Horizons spacecraft makes Pluto flyby
After roughly 7.5 billion kilometres, and a nine-and-a-half year journey, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft made its closest approach to Pluto this morning. As the spacecraft passed the mark Tuesday morning at 7:49 a.m. ET, crowds of scientists cheered at NASA's flight operations centre in Maryland. At its closest approach, the spacecraft came within 13,000 kilometres of Pluto, at a speed of about 50,000 kph. Pictures taken by New Horizons, which should arrive on earth this evening, are expected to be the highest resolution picturees of Pluto ever seen and should provide eager scientists with new material to study for years to come.

Read more on CTV News...

Firefox now Blocks Flash by Default

In a major announcement, the CEO of Mozilla, developer of the popular Firefox web browser, tweeted that Adobe Flash will no longer be supported and will be blocked outright in the newest release. The often unstable Flash has been plagued with security vulnerabilities, however, still remains a popular platform for video players, and perhaps more annoyingly, pop-up ads. Mozilla and many other big players in the technology world have been pressuring Adobe to discontinue Flash in favour of more stable alternative such as HTML5. With approx. 15% of all internet users using Firefox, Mozilla might be trying to finally push Adobe over the edge.

Read more on Gizmodo...

Microsoft delays Surface Hub Luanch

Microsoft announced Monday that the luanch of one of it's most ambitious projects will be put on hold indefinitely. The Surface Hub, a television-sized tablet meant for buisness environements, was meant to launch on September 1st, with 55-inch and 84-inch models retailing for $7,000 and $20,000 respectively. Meant to replace traditional projectors, video conferencing equipment and whiteboards, the Surface Hub has attracted a lot of attention from the business community for use in board room collaboration, according to Microsoft. Production was only meant to be on a smaller scale, however, due to the hight interest and number of pre-orders, Microsoft has delayed launch in order to increase the scale of prodcution.

Read more on The Oregonian...

Toronto Developper Highlights Flaws in new TTC App

In an attempt to highlight both the security issues and the poor design of the Toronto Transit Commisison's new mobile app, TTCconnect, a developper in Toronto has created a very convincing fake. Dan Crampton uploaded his app to the code-sharing website GitHub, which looks and functions almost identically to the one developped by New York startup firm Bytemark Inc. for the TTC. The TTCconnect app allows commuters to purchase and use virtual day passes on their smartphone. Crampton says he has no intention of using or distributing his app, instead his goal was to point out the security flaws in the app, such as using default fonts and easy-to-recreate animations, allowing conterfieters to cheat the system and get free transit passes. A TTC spokesperson stated that approx. 500 people have already purchased passes with the app and have seen no sign of fraud and that they will be diligent in preventing counterfeiting and will prosecute anyone caught doing to so the full extent of the law.

Read more on Metro News Canada...

PC Build Log: Planning the Build

Besides politics and religion, the world of technology has probably the most opinionated people in the world. From iOS vs. Android, to Windows vs. OSX, to Google vs. Bing, arguments over which is better can unleash the rage of millions of fanboys. However, one of the lesser-known arguments to the general public is over CPUs: Intel vs. AMD.

When I decided to build my own PC, naturally, I told my tech-savvy friends about it and asked for their opinion. That was my first mistake. Don’t get me wrong, getting a second opinion on pretty much anything is always a good thing. But, I had no idea the can of worms that I had just opened.

I asked four of my friends in total, each one designed entirely different machines with prices varying from $800 to $1000. Two of them chose an Intel processor and two chose AMD processors, and of course, each one insisting that their planned machine was better.

With their…..feedback, I started planning.

The Components

CPU

My choice on the processor, which would dictate the course of the rest of the build, came down to either the AMD FX-8350 or the Intel Core i5. I decided that the value and performance of the 8350, especially considering the budget I wanted to stick to, ultimately outweighed the potential advantages of the i5.

CPU Cooler

I also found a lot of differing opinions on whether or not to use the AMD-provided stock cooler or to purchase an aftermarket cooler. The general consensus was: if you intended to use the CPU at base frequency, stick with the stock cooler, if you intend to overclock, buy an aftermarket cooler. Since I wanted the flexibility of being able to upgrade or overclock later on, I decided on an aftermarket cooler.

The most popular and cheapest cooler out there, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO, was the one I eventually chose for $39.99.

Motherboard

When it came to the motherboard, I wasn’t looking for anything in particular. I just really needed something that has USB 3.0, and could support up to 32GB of RAM if I ever wanted to upgrade.

After looking around, I found the MSI 970 Gaming AM3+ ATX Motherboard, which I chose mainly based on price (at $127.99) and generally favourable reviews.

RAM

RAM was probably the simplest decision to make. Since I only really need 8GB of RAM (with the possibility of adding more later), I decided to go with G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory for $63.99.

Storage

I considered just getting a 1TB hard drive, however, I really wanted to get a solid state drive to act as my boot drive. After thinking about it, I decided to salvage a 750GB Hard Drive from an old computer to use as my mass storage drive and that I would purchase an SSD.

I stumbled on a special one day sale on a Transcend 256GB SSD for $71.99, so I picked it up.

Graphics Card

This was another hotly contested part in the build among my friends. This time it was NVIDIA’s GTX 700 series vs. AMD’s Radeon R9/R7 Series. Since I went with an AMD processor, I decided to pair it with an AMD graphics card.

Originally, I planned on getting the R9 270X 2GB (priced at $229.99), however, AMD just recently launched their new 300 series cards. The R7 370, which I purchased, offered comparable performance, with 4GB of GDDR5 memory, for only $214.99.

Case

The case was a personal choice. I really wanted a case to match my favourite colour (Blue), had front USB 3.0 ports and a side window. I was able to find all of that in the DeepCool TESSERACT SW ATX Mid Tower Case for just $44.99.

Power Supply

By this point in the planning, I calculated the power consumption of the parts and determined how much I needed from the power supply. I needed at least 330W of power, with at least a 100W buffer to allow for overclocking and upgrading in the future. I was also looking for at least a semi-modular unit to get a handle on cable management. I happened to stumble across a factory-refurbished Corsair CX500M, a 500W semi-modular power supply for only $49.99.

Final Configuration

Be sure to check out Part 3: The Build - Next Wednesday at 12PM

GlacierTek Daily - July 13th, 2015

Welcome to GlacierTek Daily, a brief look at today's news stories from the world of Science and Technology.

Swedish Researcher develops LEGO-Friendly Prosthetic Arm 

Carlos Arturo Torres Tovar of Umeå University in Sweden has developed a prosthetic arm for children that is compatible with LEGO, allowing the amputee to customize it. Not only can traditional LEGO be used, LEGO Mindstorms robotics kits are also compatible, allowing for the cont ruction of custom grippers and claws that can replace the standard default attachment. Carlos hopes to boost the confidence and morale of children with missing limbs.

Read more on Gizmodo...

NASA launches interactive online map of Mars

Move aside Google Earth, there's a new player in town. NASA has launched their own online interactive map, however, instead of our home planet, the public can now explore the surface of Mars. The new Mars Trek tool is available for free and contains data collected by probes, orbiters and rovers that have been researching the red planet for years. Perhaps the coolest feature is the ability to save portions of the map, export them to a CAD file and 3D print them with high amounts of detail.

Read more on Gizmodo...

Denmark's Renewable Energy Production surpasses Consumption

Denmark, who relies almost exclusively on wind power to meet it's demand for electricity, has just reached a huge milestone in renewable energy. Wind farms now produce 140% of Denmark's national energy demand, allowing them to sell their surplus of green energy to neighboring countries including Norway, Germany and Sweden. “It shows that a world powered 100% by renewable energy is no fantasy,” the European Wind Energy Association’s Oliver Joy told The Guardian. “Wind energy and renewables can be a solution to decarbonization—and also security of supply at times of high demand.” 

Read more on Gizmodo...

Comcast launches Cable-Free Subscription Service

Comcast has launched an at-home streaming service simply called Stream. For $15/month, existing Xfinity customers will be able to purchase this add-on for their account, allowing them to watch about a dozen networks live, on-demand movies, a cloud DVR, and TV Everywhere on their smartphones, tablets, or laptops. The catch is, you must be at home to do any of it. Stream will only allow you to enjoy its services while you're connected to your home's wireless network. For now, Stream is only available for Boston customers, but will expand to Chicago and Seattle later in the summer.

Read more on Gizmodo...