What is Windows Home Server?

StableBit Scanner 2.0 for Windows Home Server 2011 Beta Updated to 2.0.0.1873

Andrew Edney

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May 12, 2012

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StableBit Scanner 2.0 for Windows Home Server 2011 Beta Updated to 2.0.0.1873

StableBit Scanner 2.0 for Windows Home Server 2011 is now available in beta and has been updated to version 2.0.0.1873.

An advanced hard disk surface scanner, monitor and more.

Monitors all your hard drives and ensures that every bit holding your precious data is readable.

2.0.0.1873 ———-

* Cleaned up some excessive memory consumption in the service while scanning disk surface.

* Save selected sector size.

* Added file scan and recovery engine.

* When a disk has bad sectors on it, an option will become available to scan for damaged files as a result of the on-disk damage. You will then be able to select one or more damaged files and attempt recovery to an external location.

* The file scan and recovery engine from Scanner 1.0 was cleaned up, optimized and extended to support GPT disks and batch file recovery.

* A brand new UI for file scan and recovery that does away with the old Wizard interface.

* Damaged on-disk entities are listed as the file scan progresses in real-time.

* You can attempt recovery for one or more damaged NTFS files.

* Updated all UI controls to the latest versions.

* Added per-disk maximum temperature override.

* Disabled SAT for non-USB drives by default. Enable unsafe mode to use (.config).

Download the latest beta version from here

SkyDrive for Windows Phone get an update to version 2.1

Andrew Edney

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May 12, 2012

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Microsoft have quietly made some improvements to it’s SkyDrive offering for Windows Phone.

There aren’t any specifics as to what this update for Windows Phone brings though.

Check out the day we spent with Microsoft and SkyDrive Download now from the Windows Marketplace

Are you using SkyDrive yet?

New Raspberry Pi update from RS Components

Andrew Edney

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May 11, 2012

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New Raspberry Pi update from RS Components

If you are still waiting information on your order of your Raspberry Pi from RS Components, then Liz at Raspberry Pi has just posted an update!

This is what Liz just posted:

This just arrived in my inbox from Jo: I hope you find it helpful! I’ll be asking the RS Raspberry Pi team to swing by the comments section later if you’ve got any questions for them.

Thanks to all those of you who have posted comments – positive and negative – since our last update. We recognise that many of you are still wondering where you are in our queue and when you will be able to purchase your Raspberry Pi.

While this won’t resolve all of your questions we hope this update will give you a clearer picture of what is happening right now.

A secure delivery schedule is in place for the next 75,000 Raspberry Pi boards, which will take us through May and June. Next week we will be opening up our online Raspberry Pi store and inviting the next customers in our queue to place their orders.

To give you some idea of what this means, by 5pm GMT on the day that Raspberry Pi launched, 29^th February, we had received around 75,000 registrations. We expect to invite all of these people to place their order over the course of the next 7 to 10 days.

We’re preparing further communications that will give more detail on our queue and what this means for people who registered post 29^th Feb, which we’ll share shortly. In the meantime, we’ve also updated our FAQs and will continue to post updates on a regular basis.

Best wishes

Jo & all the RS Raspberry Pi Team

Check out a Slice of Raspbery Pi at Sci Fi London Horizons

Have you ordered one? Let us know if you get yours before us, or even after us.

Firecore Updates Seas0nPass Jailbreak Tools Package for AppleTV to version 0.8.4

Apple
News

Andrew Edney

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May 11, 2012

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Firecore Updates Seas0nPass Jailbreak Tools Package for AppleTV to version 0.8.4

FireCore have released an update to Seas0nPass taking it to version 0.8.4.

Here is what they said:

Adds [tethered] support for ver. 5.0.1 (iOS 5.1.1) on ATV2. ATV3 update still in progress.

As always, Seas0nPass is available as a free download from Seas0nPass.com.

CoPilot releases GPS app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices

Andrew Edney

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May 11, 2012

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CoPilot releases GPS app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices

Earlier this week we reviewed the CoPilot Live Premium GPS Navigation app. Now CoPilot have released a free GPS app as well.

CoPilot GPS is an all-new offline route planning and local exploring app that gets you everywhere you need to go without relying on your mobile data connection. Detailed maps of an entire country or region are stored on your smartphone or tablet, so you’ll be able to calculate routes and get driving or walking instructions even when there’s no mobile coverage. Millions of Points of Interest (POIs) are built into the app, making it easy to locate nearby restaurants, shops, hotels and more. You can also search for local businesses and attractions using Bing and Wikipedia.

This app is free, compared to the paid app they also have available.

CoPilot GPS does not include full voice-guided turn by turn navigation or 3D maps – you can upgrade through in-app purchase or simply buy one of the CoPilot Live Premium apps.

Here’s the full list of features available in the app:

– Premium quality 2D street maps stored on-board your device for offline use
– Millions of Points of Interest (POIs) built in with in-app dialing
– Powerful route planning with a multi-stop trip optimizer
– Alternate Routes: CoPilot GPS will provide up to 3 ways to your destination
– Drag and drop to adjust your route or destination
– Driving directions: Manually preview through the turns to your destination
– Walking mode: Explore unfamiliar cities on foot with ease
– Universal app: the iPhone version runs on iPad too!
– Social sharing: Share your location with friends on Twitter & Facebook

I have been known to use Google Maps when I am out and looking for a specific address and getting easy directions, so I will be very interested in trying this one out!

If you try it out, let us know what you think of it!

Download now from the Apple App Store Download now from Google Play

Samsung announces the Samsung Omnia M Windows Phone for Europe

Andrew Edney

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May 11, 2012

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Samsung announces the Samsung Omnia M Windows Phone for Europe

Samsung have just announced a new Windows Phone for Europe, the Samsung Omnia M with a 4” Super AMOLED display.

Featuring top-notch multimedia capabilities and a wide array of social connectivity options, the Omnia M is a phone for non-stop entertainment, content sharing and keeping in touch in whatever way that suits you. It boosts a stunning design, 1GHz performance and a vividly large 4” Super AMOLED display.

The elegant Omnia M complements your style with a minimalist, compact design. It features an ergonomic contoured casing that ensures the device sits comfortably in your hand. An expansive 4.0’’ Super AMOLED display with reduced glare provides a incredible viewing experience and lets you view messaging, multimedia and Web content in brilliant color and clarity—even in daylight conditions—while saving significant battery life.

Keeping up with your social life is easier, fun, and more interactive than ever with the Omnia M. Family Story, Samsung’s cloud-based family network, can be downloaded to let users share family messages, videos and photo slide-shows on a virtual bulletin-board with other Samsung devices. Samsung’s ChatON communication service connects you and users from any phone platform into a single community, enabling spontaneous group chatting and messaging—whether with text, animations or images—in seconds.

The Omnia M wants you to play, share, and access multimedia entertainment. With Samsung AllShare you can play films, games, or any other media direct from your Omnia M to a TV so that family and friends can share the fun. For music lovers, Music Hub offers a Smart DJ feature which automatically generates playlists to suit your mood; and for a touch of creativity, Photo Studio lets you edit your photo images for easy sharing. Windows Live SkyDrive offers 25GB of free online storage for anytime access, storage and sharing of photos, videos, Office documents, and OneNotenotes.

For added social connectivity, Windows Phone’s People Hub unifies all your messaging and contacts into a single portal to instantly sync with Windows Live, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.This ensures you are never left out of touch. The Omnia M also features Samsung’s integrated video-call feature, allowing instant video chats using the phone’s front-facing camera and superior voice audio quality. Keeping in touch has never been easier or more fun.

The Omnia M also offers the quality, consistency and community of the Xbox experience built-in. Access your personal gaming information on Xbox LIVE, including recent games you’ve played, Xbox LIVE leaderboards, and you avatar, Gamerscore and Achievements – all from your phone.

What do you think of this one then? No word on pricing yet, but it looks very nice!

Play Expo 2012 Announced for 13-14th October 2012 in Manchester

Andrew Edney

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May 11, 2012

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Yesterday, a new UK gaming expo Play Expo 2012 was announced at an event in central London. The show will occur at the brand new EventCity venue in Manchester on 13-14th October 2012.

Play Expo will be the only UK video games expo catering for all gamers and all forms of games.

Located at the brand new EventCity venue in Manchester, the show will cover four core gaming zones:

• now.play – latest releases and previews for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC and handheld
• re.play – freeplay arcade & pinball machines, retro consoles and vintage computers
• pro.play – a competitive eSports event featuring pro gaming tournaments
• cos.play – costume role play including masquerades, talks and anime.

Organised by Replay Events, the new expo follows their successful Replay shows in Blackpool over the past three years. Using the experience gained from staging their own events and exhibiting at some of the largest consumer gaming shows, the team at Replay are confident that Play Expo will offer opportunities for the widest possible range of publishers, accessory suppliers and gaming peripheral companies to get involved.

Play Expo spokesperson, Gordon Sinclair said: “There is great demand from gamers for a show outside of London and from our experience, we know there is appetite for Replay’s unique approach. In fact, we surveyed previous attendees to our shows and found that 96% said they wanted this type of event and that they would be very likely to attend. With that kind of support, we are confident that this huge step forward will be a successful one for both us and our exhibitors.”

Play Expo will be able to comfortably accommodate 10,000 consumers over the two days. In
addition, Play Expo today announced a partnership with eSports provider EGL – which will stream the expo to up to 500,000 worldwide viewers.

I’ll be there – will you?

Tickets are on sale now at http://www.playexpo.net/

Raspberry Pi easy firmware updating tool from Hexxeh

Andrew Edney

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May 11, 2012

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Raspberry Pi easy firmware updating tool from Hexxeh

If you have a Raspberry Pi, you might want an easy way to reinstall the firmware. As luck would have it Hexxeh has released an easy firmware updating tool!

This is what Hexxeh posted on his blog:

Whilst I’m hacking on Raspberry Pi images, I have to reinstall the firmware onto a blank image quite a lot. I thought it’d be easier if there was a tool that did this for me. Such a tool would also be useful for normal Raspberry Pi users who want to keep their kernel/firmware up to date to try the latest and greatest new features out.

So I wrote a tool that does just that. It’s called rpi-updater. If you want to give it a shot, then simply follow the instructions linked below. Be warned, however, that it’s rather experimental and could break your image, causing it not to boot. You can’t do any permanent damage to your Pi, though, so as long as you’re not afraid to recreate your SD card, give it a shot.

Instructions on how to install and use the tool are available over at my GitHub account, which you can find here.

Check out a Slice of Raspbery Pi at Sci Fi London Horizons

Have you ordered one? Let us know if you get yours before us, or even after us.

Amazon Expands The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library to include all 7 Harry Potter books

Andrew Edney

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May 11, 2012

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Amazon Expands The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library to include all 7 Harry Potter books

Last year we told you about the Amazon Kindle Owners’ Lending Library where you can borrow a book for free. Now Amazon have announced that they are adding all 7 Harry Potter books to the library.

Here is what Amazon said:

Owning a Kindle just got a whole lot better for magic-loving Muggles. Starting June 19, Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) is adding all seven Harry Potter books (in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish) to the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library (KOLL). Harry Potter is the all-time best-selling book series in history, and Amazon has purchased an exclusive license from J.K. Rowling’s Pottermore to make the addition of these titles possible. The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library is a benefit of Amazon Prime membership—Prime members also enjoy free two-day shipping on millions of items and unlimited streaming of more than 17,000 movies and TV episodes. The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library has now grown to over 145,000 books that can be borrowed for free as frequently as once a month, with no due dates.

“We’re absolutely delighted to have reached this agreement with Pottermore. This is the kind of significant investment in the Kindle ecosystem that we’ll continue to make on behalf of Kindle owners,” said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. “Over a year, borrowing the Harry Potter books, plus a handful of additional titles, can alone be worth more than the $79 cost of Prime or a Kindle. The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library also has an innovative feature that’s of great benefit for popular titles like Harry Potter – unlimited supply of each title – you never get put on a waiting list.”

For more information about the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, please visit http://www.amazon.com/kindleownerslendinglibrary.

Unfortunately for us poor UK based Kindle owners this is only available to US Amazon customers. Come on Amazon, do the same for us – please!

ZOTAC Releases GeForce GTX 670 Series graphics cards

News
Tech

Andrew Edney

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May 11, 2012

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ZOTAC Releases GeForce GTX 670 Series graphics cards

ZOTAC International, a global innovator and channel manufacturer of graphics cards, mainboards and mini-PCs, today releases the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 670 and GeForce GTX 670 AMP! Edition graphics cards – an elevated upgrade for demanding gamers.

The ZOTAC GeForce GTX 670 series graphics cards deliver exceptional price/performance with magnificent visuals and stellar cooling in a single-GPU graphics card. Powered by the latest NVIDIA GeForce 600-series architecture, the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 670 series are the first graphics cards to introduce the latest new features such as quad-display output, NVIDIA 3D Vision™ Surround, NVIDIA GPU Boost and NVIDIA Adaptive Vertical Sync technologies to its competitive price point.

“NVIDIA’s latest GeForce architecture enables us to take gaming performance and visual details to unexplored levels. Our new ZOTAC GeForce GTX 670 series graphics cards embrace all the new architectural upgrades and features at more attractive price points,” said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International.

The ZOTAC GeForce GTX 670 AMP! Edition is designed for demanding gamers that desire an extra edge in frame rates with its amplified graphics processor and memory. The amplified ZOTAC GeForce GTX 670 AMP! Edition also receives a cooling system upgrade to a 2.5-slot dual-fan cooler that delivers superior cooling performance for lower operating temperatures.

A 3-Day Game Pass for TrackMania 2 Canyon is bundled with the ZOTAC GeForce GTX670 series to let gamers hop in the drivers seat of the latest online stunt-racing phenomena and compete against other drivers or in the ZOTAC TrackMania 2 Cup for a chance to win a prize.

· NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 GPU

· 1344 SMX unified shaders

· ZOTAC GeForce GTX 670 AMP! Edition

o Engine clock: 1098 MHz (base), 1176 MHz (boost)

o 2GB GDDR5 memory

o Memory clock: 6608 MHz

o Custom Dual-Fan Cooler

· ZOTAC GeForce GTX 670

o Engine clock: 915 MHz (base), 980 MHz (boost)

o 2GB GDDR5 memory

o Memory clock: 6008 MHz

· 256-bit memory interface

· DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI & DisplayPort outputs

· PCI Express 3.0 interface

· NVIDIA GPU Boost technology

· NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround capable

· NVIDIA FXAA technology

· NVIDIA TXAA technology

· NVIDIA SLI ready

· NVIDIA Adaptive Vertical Sync

· DirectX 11 technology & Shader Model 5.0

· OpenGL 4.2 compatible

· Hardware-accelerated Full HD video playback

· Blu-ray 3D ready

· Loss-less audio bitstream capable

· TrackMania 2 Canyon 3-Day Game Pass included

Check out the ZOTAC website

NVIDIA launches GeForce GTX 670 graphic cards

News
Tech

Andrew Edney

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May 11, 2012

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NVIDIA launches GeForce GTX 670 graphic cards

NVIDIA yesterday launched the third GPU based on its next-generation Kepler graphics architecture, the GeForce GTX 670, which brings dramatically improved levels of price-performance, power efficiency and whisper-quiet operation for PC gamers, starting at £329 including VAT / EUR 329 excluding VAT.

Engineered from the same DNA as the recently announced GTX 680—NVIDIA’s top-of-the-line, single-GPU—the GTX 670 packs a mean punch in its lithe 9.5-inch-long frame. It outpaces the closest competitive product in gaming performance by upwards of 45 percent, while consuming approximately 18 percent less power.

Plus, the GeForce GTX 670 ties the competition’s much higher-priced flagship product on 25 of the world’s most popular games and benchmarks, a testament to the overall performance efficiency of the Kepler architecture.

The GTX 670 is built using NVIDIA’s 28-nanometer Kepler architecture, as are the GTX 680 and dual-GPU GTX 690, which were introduced in March and April, respectively.

Availability

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 GPU is available now from the world’s leading add-in card suppliers, including ASUS, EVGA, Gainward, Gigabyte, Inno3D, KFA2, MSI, Palit, Point of View, PNY, and Zotac.

Shazam app for iOS updated to version 5.0.2; brings minor bug fixes

Andrew Edney

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May 11, 2012

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The very cool music identification app Shazam has been updated to version 5.0.2 and it brings with it some minor bug fixes!

Having tried some different music, I cant honestly say it find’s the song in a matter of seconds, in some cases, only two or three words had been sung. I was very impressed!

This is how Shazam is described:

Lightning fast tagging. Now discover, explore and share more music, TV shows and brands you love in as little as one second.

With unlimited tagging use Shazam as much as you want, and experience more of what you like, faster.

You can also:
○ Save & listen again (30 sec preview)
○ Buy tracks easily on iTunes & find more by tagged artists
○ View extra content as you watch TV
○ Watch music videos & concerts from YouTube
○ Share on Facebook, Twitter & email
○ See streaming lyrics in time to the music
○ Discover new music in Shazam Friends & Charts
○ See when an artist is touring
○ Use it when you don’t have a signal

What’s New in Version 5.0.2

Minor Bug Fixes

Download now from the Apple App Store

Apple TV Updated to version 5.0.1

Apple
News

Andrew Edney

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May 11, 2012

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Apple has updated the Apple TV’s to version 5.0.1.

This update includes:

iTunes previews
Previews for movies and TV shows from the iTunes Store can now be viewed in HD.

AirPlay
Fixes an issue that caused some iOS apps to have trouble connecting via AirPlay.

Home Sharing
Improves the reliability of Home Sharing connections.

Netflix
Addresses an issue affecting Netflix login and navigation.

Stability and performance
Includes fixes for issues affecting stability and performance.

And Firecore are advising you to steer clear of the update if you want to jailbreak.

The Home Server Show Episode 182 Out Now

Andrew Edney

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May 10, 2012

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Dave at the guys at the Home Server Show have released episode 182.

Here’s what Dave has to say about this weeks show:

We can’t stop talking about Windows 8 and Media Center. It all comes back to storage though. Plenty of server conversation as well as some follow up on cloud options and HD Home Run streaming.

Listen to the show from here.