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IBM's new mainframe keeps everything encrypted, all the time
Data breaches are bad enough by themselves, but they're made worse when companies don't bother to (or can't) encrypt all their info. It's tantamount to giving hackers the keys to the kingdom. But what to do? IBM thinks it has a simple solution: encrypt absolutely everything. Its latest Z mainframe system now has enough power to automatically encrypt all the data associated with an app or service, whether it's in transit or sitting idle in a database. According to IBM, conventional systems based on x86 processors only encrypt "limited slices" of information, while the new Z has enough power (18 times more, in fact) to lock everything down as a matter of course.
ICYMI: Hop on a bike and tour the world
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A British man was the first to bike the length of the UK, all within the world of Google Maps and his virtual reality headset. If you're intrigued, his blog is really the best place to get the details.
Samsung breaks from Android with its first ever Tizen phone
Samsung has been teasing a Tizen-based prototype phones for quite awhile now, but it has finally launched an honest-to-God retail device: the Samsung Z. It's Samsung's attempt at a homegrown non-Android OS (first featured on its Galaxy Gear smartwatch), though it developed Tizen jointly with Intel. The Samsung Z will feature a 720p HD, AMOLED display with a quad-core, 2.3GHz CPU (from Intel we presume, and possibly based on the new "Moorefield" architecture) with 2GB RAM, 16GB memory, LTE, an 8-megapixel camera, a heartrate sensor and fingerprint scanner. Expect to see the same design language featured in its Android-based Galaxy S devices, especially in the app drawer, notification tray and homescreen widgets. Samsung has also promised a "slim, angular design," and will launch it in black and gold on June 3rd at its Tizen developer conference in San Francisco. It'll be available in Russia and other markets shortly thereafter -- expect more details (like the price) soon.
Sony launches Xperia Tablet Z: Kitchen Edition for $650... wait, what?
The Xperia Tablet Z already boasts strong water resistance credentials, but Sony's decided that there's an under-served market of chefs that needs exploiting. That's why the company has launched a "Kitchen Edition" of the slate, aimed at nerds who know what a ramekin is. Unlike the regular version, this bork-tastic device comes with a book-style stand, pre-loaded recipes from Saveur magazine and an iGrill digital wireless meat thermometer. Priced at $650 with 32GB storage, there's no word on if the hardware will double as a chopping board, but given how sturdy Sony's hardware normally is...
Creative reveals Sound Blaster ZxR, Zx, and Z PCI-Express sound cards, pumps up the volume
Along with your first day at school, and (for the boys at least) growing your first peach fuzz mustache, many of you might also never forget your first Sound Blaster soundcard. In the present day (unless you're blessed with youth) only the Sound Blaster can be enjoyed again, and today Creative introduces its new Z-series. The latest PCI-Express cards use the firm's Core3D quad-core sound and voice processor and come in three variants: the Sound Blaster ZxR, the Zx and the Z. As you might have guessed, the more letters, the higher up the food chain it is. The flagship ZxR ($249.99) boasts a 127dB SNR, sockets for swappable Op-Amps, 80mW into 600 ohm headphone pre-amp, plus RCA / optical connectivity (via additional daughter board) and an external "ACM" control module for less fiddling around the back of your machine. You can save yourself $100 with the Zx model, if you don't want the ZxR's "DBpro" daughter board, and the Z edition saves a further $50 at the expense of the external controller. Want to dive into the full specifications? Plug in to the PR after the break.
Nissan ESFLOW pictured in the flesh ahead of Geneva unveil
Rendery concept images not doing enough to pique your interest in the future-Z concept ESFLOW from Nissan? Maybe you'd be into some honest to gosh pictures of the real thing sitting pretty on a white-walled photo stage, prepping for its glamour shoot. All Cars Electric has a suite of photos of the inside, highlighting its sweeping lines and decidedly fanciful interior. The car is said to manage the 0 - 60 sprint in under five seconds while also delivering 150 miles of range from its Li-ion battery pack, helped by a lightweight composite body and aluminum chassis. Whether the car ever hits production remains to be seen, but there's no doubt it's looking good already.
NVIDIA's Optimus uncovered in Sony VAIO Z, along with TRIM support?
Sony's illustrious VAIO Z may have a so-called "Dynamic Hybrid Graphics System," but NVIDIA's Optimus it is not. Or is it. Notebook Review's own igorstef started digging deeper within the laptop's switchable GPU setup, and lo and behold, it sure looks as if Optimus is underneath. He went through the painstaking process of installing a slew of new drivers and tweaking some code within select .inf files, and in the end he seemingly found a way to get Optimus drivers working on the new rig. Of course, the debate has been raging on for five pages now, and it still seems inconclusive as to what's really going on behind the scenes. In related news, ZoinksS2k seems to have discovered a way to get Windows 7's TRIM feature working on his SSD-equipped VAIO Z, and if you're interested in doing some tinkering of your own in either case, you know where to dive in. [Thanks, Bill]
Sony VAIO W, Z, F, and Y series hands-on: lean and green vs. gaming elite
Sony's unleashed quartet of Scrabble-friendly VAIOs this week -- Z, F, Y, and W -- and while they all have their merits, the two that really caught our eye were the the bulkier, gamer-friendly VAIO F, and the environmentally-conscious VAIO W Eco Edition. The green hue's gonna be a deal-breaker for some, but the packaging is a welcome touch and from cursory glance it is a sturdy and competent netbook. There's never enough time to test the internals, but for now, at least take solace in a bevy of pictures below (VAIO Y and Z after the break). %Gallery-82070% %Gallery-82044%
Dell Inspiron 13z goes on sale in Australia
We knew Dell was planning on a whole range of Inspiron Z-series machines way back in August when we previewed the line, and it looks like the 13-inch model is finally ready to join the already-launched 11, 14 and 15 -- in Australia. Yep, the Z-series has gone live Down Under, and the Inspiron 13z is part of the lineup, starting at AU$1,199 (US$1,106). That'll buy you a 1.3GHz SU7300 Core 2 Duo with Intel integrated 4500MHD graphics, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 320GB drive, and an LED-backlit screen, all in a four-pound chassis that's 1.27 inches thick at its chubbiest. Not bad -- we'll see what official US pricing is like before we get any more excited, however. Update: A number of readers from across the pond have wrote in to tell us that Inspiron 13z is also available in the UK. [Thanks, Toby]
Dell's ULV-powered Inspiron 14z and 15z now on sale
If you're looking for some ultra-light laptop love in your life, Dell today debuted its 14-inch and 15.6-inch Insprion Z series portables. Both models have more or less the same specs, meaning up to a 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 with GMA X4500HD graphics, 1366 x 768 resolution, 8GB RAM, 500GB HDD, 802.11a/b/g/draft-N, Bluetooth, a 7-in-1 card reader, 1.3 megapixel camera, and a 6-cell battery. Starting prices for the pair go as low as $599, but if you're looking to load up on as much as possible from the get-go, expect to pay somewhere in the vicinity of $1,034. Read - Inspiron 14z Read - Inspiron 15z
Mysterious Dell laptop hits FCC, is a shoo-in for leaked Latitude Z
While most of Dell's latest FCC filing is hidden behind a confidentiality agreement, we couldn't help but notice on the label location host picture a distinct bump on the laptop's back side, which matches up quite well that pretty Latitude Z series leak we covered back in June. Testing a 802.11 b/g single-chip client is somewhat of a downer since it implies no Draft-N, but hey, we don't mind being proven wrong here. External photos and user manual are being withheld at Dell's request until October 25, but hopefully we won't have to wait that long for the full story.
Sony VAIO Z-series vs. MacBook Air: fight!
Like we mentioned in our hands-on impressions, the new Z-series laptops from Sony are in many ways impressive, but in ultimate thinness they leave a bit to be desired. This is perhaps best demonstrated best by Journal du Geek's comparison shots here with the MacBook Air. Sure, the Z wins all over the place on specs, with Centrino 2, discreet graphics, a full-size laptop hard drive bay, and what was that? Oh yeah, a Blu-ray drive. The Z also manages a smaller footprint, thanks in part to a smaller 13.1-inch screen in that shorter 16:9 aspect ratio, but also due to its slim bezels surrounding the screen and keyboard -- something the Air could do well to take note of -- but the actual 1-inch thickness seems dramatically fat compared to its ultrathin competition. Overall, it's all about what kind of laptop you're really gunning for, but if thin is the ultimate goal, you're going to be much better off with the X300, X200 or Envy 133 on the PC side.
Sony VAIO hands-on extravaganza
Sony really bumped out a whole lot of laptop today, but we got a chance to handle each and every one, and came away impressed -- perhaps not blown away, but Sony certainly doesn't seem to be planning on letting the likes of Lenovo run away with the PC laptop design crown. None of the laptops felt astounding light, but they did all feel rather solid to handle, as if crafted out of a single element, instead of cobbled together -- particularly the magnesium alloy-built BZ. We'll have to get some more time with the keyboard to get a real read on them, but we like the shape of the keys and the depth of the action. Something that sort of flew under the radar in Sony's announcement is a new sort of OS X-esque dock at the bottom of the screen, with a row of icons that can be clicked on, or activated by a row of hard buttons above the SR's keyboard. The worst thing we can say about the whole lineup is how particularly chunky the Z looks in profile, despite its 1-inch thickness, but that's just because we've been spoiled by the likes of Lenovo, Apple and Voodoo, and all those ultralights aren't packing near what the Z is. Oh, and let it be known: the glowing power button thing is pretty sexy.%Gallery-27615%
Sony's new VAIO Z, FW, SR and BZ laptops go official
Leaks, rumors and teasers have told us just about everything we'd ever need to know about Sony's new VAIO lineup before we ever laid eyes on it, but Sony has finally confirmed its new VAIO Z, FW, SR and BZ laptops. They share a common design language, Centrino 2 processors, configuration options and setup software to remove that icky trial ware, and a whole lot of Blu-ray between them. Of particular note is the VAIO Z, which packs a Blu-ray drive and HDMI into a 1-inch thick, 3.4 pound, 13.1-inch 16:9 form factor, and even discreet NVIDIA 9300M graphics and a full size hard drive bay, with an option for dual SSD in a RAID configuration (which is just rubbing it in, if you ask us). The Z, FW and SR keyboards are all of the isolated, raised key variety, which might remind people of the MacBook keyboard, but is actually a design Sony has been toying with for a while now. The 13.3-inch VAIO SR is Sony's bid at bringing its ultraportable line "mainstream" with supposedly aggressive price points, multiple color options, and a four pound form factor which leaves room for discreet graphics, but sadly no Blu-ray. The 16.4-inch VAIO FW, on the other hand, has room for it all, with a 16:9 aspect ratio screen well suited to playing back Blu-ray movies. Finally, the VAIO BZ skips over the home theater fanciness and shows a growing commitment from Sony in the business laptop space. There's a 15.4-inch screen, magnesium alloy case, spill-resistant keyboard, vPRO and all that other fancy security-related business stuff, though no HDMI or Blu-ray to speak of. The BZ and FW start at $1,000, the SR at $1,400, the FW premium at $1,750, and the Z will hit at $1,800, with an SSD option for $2,300. All should be available in the late July / August time frame.%Gallery-27612%
Sony's forthcoming VAIO Z series laptops unofficially detailed
Hooray! More Sony VAIO laptops with naming schemes impossible to decipher! Following up on those tasty new FW and SR lappies that we were informally introduced to earlier this week comes even more foreign images detailing a 13.1-incher. On the surface, it looks like said machines will feature a Core 2 Duo processor, 1,600 x 900 native resolution, 4GB of RAM, 250GB HDD, dual-layer DVD burner, a 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS graphics card, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, WiFi, integrated HSDPA connectivity and a modest array of ports. For more details on which model gets what (off the record, of course), dip on into the read links below.Read - Images / specs of new machinesRead - More details on rumored VAIOs
Montevina-Based Sony VAIO FW, Z, SR, BZ laptops around the bend?
We'll start this by suggesting you take everything from here on out with a healthy dose of salt, but given that Sony has a history of updating its VAIO laptop line in one fell swoop, there's enough credibility here to pass it along. With everyone that hopes to remain relevant in the laptop sector going to Montevina as soon as feasibly possible, it's no shock to hear that Sony's VAIO FW, Z, SR and BZ series units will be making the same leap this summer. Currently, there aren't a whole lot of specifications floating about, but we do know the VGN-FW line will sport an atypical 16.4-inch display while both the VGN-Z and VGN-SR lines check in as subnotes. For a wee bit more on the supposedly forthcoming crew, surf southwest to the read link.[Via Laptoping]
Powerpuff Girls adapted to anime, anime adapted to minigames
This news manages to be both supremely weird and completely banal at the same time. It's interesting conceptually, but mechanically, it's another licensed minigame set. Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z is the made-for-Japan adaptation of the Cartoon Network show, which was itself inspired by anime. And just like you would expect for any anime, or, for that matter, anything popular in Japan (see also: food and walking) Powerpuff Girls Z is getting its own DS game. This has to be the most derivative game ever in terms of source material-- just surpassing the game adaptation of Street Fighter: The Movie.
New screens from Treasure Island Z and Devil Kings 2
Famitsu got their hands on some great screens from two upcoming Capcom games: the colorful pirate adventure Treasure Island Z and the upgraded Playstation 2 port Devil Kings 2. We have good news and ... miscellaneous news for both.First, the good news: Devil Kings 2 looks like a hybrid of Dynasty Warriors and Devil May Cry, with cool characters and over-the-top stylish moves. Treasure Island Z's screens show off the interface, which involves-- could it be?-- a hand-shaped cursor interacting with objects on screen! Pointing and clicking, as it were!Now for the other news: for some reason, one of the playable characters in Devil Kings 2 looks like a samurai version of Ultraman, and we haven't decided how we feel about that. And in Treasure Island Z, the character has some kind of stylized Wiimote item in-game. That's kind of a cheap way to be immersive, isn't it? Check after the break for a couple of screens from each game.
Avast! More Treasure Island Z scans spotted
A NeoGAFfer and frequent Wii Fanboy tipster named creamsugar posted these new, higher-quality scans of Capcom's Treasure Island Z, and later in the thread Xboxyde's Blimblim cleaned up the images, which we have provided for you. After a careful inspection, we must say, that if we were excited about the game yesterday, today we are in full hype hype hype mode! We're ready to start freaking out about this game without really knowing anything about it!The graphics look so great (and we aren't going to assume that it's because of Blimblim's filter)-- finally, next-generation cel shading is here! And the art style and general piracy motif reminds us of one of the best Capcom games ever, the Mega Man Legends spinoff The Misadventures of Tron Bonne. Please, Capcom, let it be like Tron Bonne.Click the post break to see the scans, and then click those to see them in their original resolution.
Homebrew PSone emulator released
While many frustrated gamers are waiting for Sony to get their act together with their official PSone emulator support, it appears that a coder at DCemu has released a homebrew PSone emulator of his own. It will apparently run "anything," including ISO, BIN, Z and ZNX files (whatever that means). There are a few bugs in this alpha release, but according to users, many games are completely playable and running at full-speed. With the homebrew community seemingly one-upping Sony, hopefully we'll see the official PSone download service hit American soon... and without the need for a PS3.[Thanks, jamie!]
