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Dropbox Pro plan now offers 10x the storage for the same price
Beefing up your free Dropbox account with extra space isn't hard if you know what to look for, but the company just smartly streamlined its Pro plans in case you need even more cloud action. Kiss those tricky tiered plans goodbye: all that's left now is a 1TB option that'll set you back $9.99 a month (or $99 a year). Not a bad deal considering that's how much you would've paid Dropbox monthly for 100GB of cloud storage just a few days ago, and the company is sweetening the pot with some neat new sharing and security features too. Left your laptop at that seedy diner over in Toledo? A few clicks is all it takes to remotely wipe all the synced files that were still on it. You can exercise a bit more caution with your shared links too by slapping password protection and expiration dates on them, too. Really, it's those features that Dropbox hopes will give it an edge over some larger rivals -- Google Drive's monthly rate plans dipped to similar levels earlier this year, while Amazon still costs a ton compared to both.
Apple gives Retina MacBook Pros a speed boost ahead of Yosemite rollout
After rumors surfaced yesterday about an incoming MacBook Pro refresh, Apple's store went down earlier today, and now, hey presto! New MacBook Pros. The updated models haven't changed significantly, but look to be better equipped to handle the next version of OS X due in the fall, Yosemite. All 15-inch MacBook Pro Retinas now have 16GB of RAM standard instead of 8GB, and the priciest model has an optional 1TB PCIe-based SSD. The larger Retina models were also bumped by 200Mhz to the latest 4th Core-i7 CPUs, with the top-liner getting a Core i7-4980HQ which hits the magical 4.0GHz mark. Surprisingly, Apple has stuck with NVIDIA's GeForce GT-750M for its top model with discrete graphics rather than updating to the latest GeForce GT800M series. The upside, however, is that the price for that model has dropped by $100 to $2,499 (or £1,999 in the UK).
Logitech rolls out full-size keyboard case for Samsung's Galaxy Note Pro and Tab Pro
Are you already planning to buy a Samsung Galaxy Note Pro or Tab Pro, but are worried that your mammoth tablet might go unprotected? Never fear, as Logitech has just unveiled a new Pro keyboard case that will shelter the 12.2-inch versions of both slates. While the design will look familiar to anyone who has seen one of Logitech's earlier folios, the Pro's extra space allows for a full, laptop-sized keyboard with a dedicated row of app shortcut keys. You will be paying a premium for going big, though, as the case will sell for $130 when it ships to the US in February.
The Summoner's Guidebook: Learning how to not lose from the League of Legends pros
The League of Legends World Championship semifinals are over, and unfortunately the two teams I was hoping would advance ended up losing. The matches were good, especially the SKT1 versus NJBS matches. Definitely watch them! However, this week I'm going to get back to basics, and by that I mean guides on improving your game. I've been talking about Worlds for weeks and I'll be at the finals in LA around the time you're reading this, which would make for four weeks of straight coverage about the LoL World Championships. That feels lazy to me. I have been watching a lot of pro matches lately, both the tournament matches and just random streams and casual matches. One thing that came to mind for me was improving our losing games. We all have them, and of all the games that we should improve upon, those are the games that are the most important. Pro players take bad lanes or feeding teammates and make wins instead. How do they do it?
Sony offers pro 4K camcorder for $6,500: the PXW-Z100 with 10-bit, 600Mbps video
Other than a smallish 1/2.3-inch sensor, Sony's new PXW-Z100 4K camcorder should push all the right buttons for pro shooters. Though it shares a sensor (and body) with the newly launched FDR-AX1 prosumer model, everything is upmarket from there. It'll record 4:2:2 10-bit (billions of colors) 4K video at up to 500/600Mbps at 50p/60p using its new XAVC format and high-speed XQD memory cards. By contrast, the FDR-AX1 uses XAVC-S, capturing 60fps 4K at 150Mbps in 4:2:0 8-bit color. HD is also recorded at 10-bit at a healthy 233Mbps for 50 or 60 fps video, compared to 50Mbps for its prosumer cousin. You'll be able to output 4K video at up to 60fps via HDMI to a compatible BRAVIA monitor, and a remote control WiFi adaptor is included. All that's missing is the shallow depth of field you'd get with a larger sensor -- but a lot of shooters are so over that.
The Summoner's Guidebook: How to be the best at League of Legends
What does it take to be a top League of Legends player? A lot of people sell themselves short, saying, "I could never be as good as HotshotGG," but I think that's a falsehood. Don't mistake me, I do think that most of the current LoL pros (including Hotshot) are prodigal. I do think that they got to where they are partially due to natural talent. I've watched a lot of streams and interviews and listened to pros talk about their training schedules, and I can honestly say that while they do practice a lot, most of them don't practice enough. But no amount of talent can replace the other skills you'll need. Even if Pobelter has a natural ability to dominate LoL matches, he has refined that talent through hard work. If you practice the skills here dilligently, you can get in the top levels of the solo-duo ranked ladder and you can get picked up by a pro team.
Surface Pro launches in Japan on June 7th, packs 256GB for the first time
Microsoft's Surface Pro started shipping in the US back in February, but its rollout elsewhere has been sporadic, and a 256GB model non-existent -- until now. Japanese customers lusting after the Intel Core i5-powered hybrid will be able to claim one on June 8th, priced at 99,800 yen ($975) with 128GB of storage. The new 256GB iteration will premiere on shelves there for 119,800 yen ($1,175), and customers there will be able to adorn it with the Touch Cover for 9,980 yen ($100) and tactile key Type Cover for 10,980 yen ($110). Better still, Microsoft will toss in its pressure-sensitive pen (and Office 2013) for all the versions as well -- just in time for you to finally do something useful with it.
Microsoft Surface Pro coming to the UK on May 23rd starting at £719
Microsoft has a good excuse for the Surface Pro's late arrival in the UK: the company claims that demand in the US stripped its cupboards bare, leaving nothing but RT crumbs to sell on this side of the Atlantic. In any case, Redmond tells us that a date has now been set, with the Core i5-powered tablet due to be available from Microsoft's online store from May 23rd. For once, Brits can look forward to dollar-equivalent pricing, with the 64GB version going for £719 and the 128GB model fetching £799 inclusive of VAT. (That may not be cheap, but at least it's fair.) Meanwhile, the bendy Touch Cover will continue to cost £99, and the more traditional key action of the Type Cover will add another tenner on top of that. So, there it is. Just in time for Haswell to make us wonder when a more power-efficient sequel might be coming out.
To-do app Wunderlist Pro adds collaboration function, charges $45 annual subscription
If you've been meaning to get your act together, you've likely waded through a sea of organizer apps, perhaps landing on the likes of Remember The Milk, Evernote and Wunderlist. The latter has focused on the ubiquitous to-do lists, and has just announced that it'll launch Wunderlist Pro next week with new teamwork options aimed at businesses and other groups. Maker 6Wunderkinder said it brought the "most requested" feature of Wunderlist -- assigning -- which will let each user delegate and view the responsibilities of the entire team. You'll be able to see your own chores through an "assigned to me" smart list with unlimited subtasks and "new and exclusive backgrounds." The company's mum on the rest of the details, but said it'll launch the app sometime next week for $5 per month or $45 a year. That might help keep your cats in the herd, but blog editors? Impossible. Check the video after the break to see how they made it.
Corona introduces an SDK starter, will raise Pro price to $599
Unity is probably the most popular tool for cross-platform development out there right now -- last week at GDC, I heard a lot from developers of all sizes about Unity and how it was helping them to build games for iOS and other platforms. But Corona also has a following out there. It's a Software Development Kit (SDK) that has been updated quite a bit lately, and I did hear a few devs say it's what they use to make their titles. One game development student even told me he's being taught how to use Corona specifically at school, so the tool definitely has its fans. Today, Corona has announced that it's hoping to make its platform more accessible than ever, with a new "SDK Starter" program that will allow developers to make and sell apps with Corona for completely free. The SDK is available as a free download, and as long as you don't need certain features (like in-app purchases or analytics services), you can publish apps made with Corona for exactly zero dollars. Some other SDKs require you to use a certain splash screen on your app or advertise the service in some other way, but Corona's new program doesn't even require that -- it's really free. Of course, the company does offer those other services, and more, with a Pro account. Corona also says it's "re-imagining" what Pro will mean for the service, which essentially means a price raise, to US$599 a year on May 1. The current subscription is $349, and anyone can still get one at that price until the first of May. Pro users will have access to in-app purchases and various analytics, as well as the option to use Corona's high-end graphic features, and the plugin system. But even if you're not interested in a full Pro subscription, it's nice to see that Corona's offering the free option for developers to try out the service for themselves. Unity, I would say, is still the leader in this area, and they offer a free version of the tools for developers to try. But you do need to pay to publish a commercial game on that platform, so maybe Corona will grab a few more users (and see a few more published titles) with this free opportunity.
Canon outs VIXIA HF G30 camcorder with premium optics, XA20 and XA25 for pros (updated)
While the image of the amateur camcorder user still revolves around a parent recording baby's first steps, Canon knows that at least some of us want high-quality footage without venturing too far into pro camera territory. Witness its new VIXIA HF G30, which rolls in image quality and control that are still rare outside of big shoulder-mounted cams. It includes a larger CMOS sensor than its ancestors, a new DIGIC DV 4 processor and an equally fresh 20X (26.8-536mm equivalent), f/1.8 lens; together, they should cut back on visual artifacts, improve stabilization and produce a gentler depth of field effect. Canon is also expanding its WiFi support to include DSLR-like remote control of the camcorder through the web browsers of most modern devices. The upgrade rounds out with a handful of firsts specific to the G series, such as dual recording in AVCHD and MP4 as well as a 3.5-inch, OLED touchscreen. Be prepared to sacrifice some time and money for the upgrade in home video quality, though -- Canon doesn't ship the HF G30 until June, when it will cost a not-quite-pro-level $1,700. If you really do make a living from moving pictures, Canon also has a pair of compact pro models that share the same underlying technology. Both the XA20 and XA25 (pictured after the break) carry the same 20X lens, DIGIC DV 4 processing, WiFi and OLED display as their home-oriented cousin, but throw in pro-level expansion such as XLR microphone inputs and holders, independent audio level adjustment and (on the XA25) SDI connectors. The two will ship later in June and should carry premiums that lift their official prices up to $2,699 and $3,199, although we're seeing them on Canon's site for $500 less -- we've reached out and will let you know how much they cost in practice. Update: Canon tells us that the real pricing sits in between. The XA20 will cost $2,499, while it will take $2,999 to call an XA25 your own.
Origin Stories: Sonnet Technologies
Sonnet Technologies has been around for 26 years, and was founded by a former Apple engineer. I've long been a fan of their products, first with a PPC daughtercard upgrade for my 8500 years ago. In this Origin Stories I talk to Greg LaPorte about the history of Sonnet. As a bonus, check out the additional videos around some great Sonnet products. Here's a video of some of Sonnet's advanced Thunderbolt products: And here's a video of some more great stuff, including a USB 3.0 media reader and a Tempo SSD card for performance junkies:
Sony's Cyber-shot RX1 compact camera packs a full-frame sensor, 'fits in your palm' (hands-on)
Would you believe us if we told you Sony packed a full-frame sensor in a Cyber-shot-branded camera? It's true! Say hello to the RX1, a "compact" digital camera for pros that's packing the same 24.3MP Exmor CMOS sensor introduced today with the A99. Calling the rangefinder-esque one-pound shooter small might seem off-base, especially considering the Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm f/2.0 fixed prime lens protruding from its front, but it's not so huge (3-inches high by 4.5-inches wide) up against its tiny sibling, the RX100 -- taking into account how much larger the RX1's sensor is, well, that's when this editor's jaw basically dropped. While it's not a "pro-NEX" as many had hoped, Sony explained that it chose a fixed lens to avoid the bulk of a lens-mount. We were able to get some eyes-on time with an engineering prototype of the unit, so click past the break for more details, close-ups and a brief video overview. %Gallery-164840%
Sony reveals the Alpha A99, its first full-frame flagship since 2008's A900 (hands-on)
It's not every day that a digital SLR manufacturer releases a new full-frame camera -- in fact, it's not even every year. Sony's last top-end model, the A900, was first released four years ago, so you better believe its successor offers an overflowing boatload of enhancements. The Alpha A99 is a flagship if ever there was one, crushing every other Sony still camera in terms of capability, both when it comes to stills, and in the HD video realm as well. With this $2,800 behemoth, the company is targeting both professional photographers and leading filmmakers, with plenty of features that will appeal to both. The centerpiece is an all-new 24.3-megapixel Exmor sensor (nope, it's not the rumored 36MP chip you might be expecting), which features an increased photodiode area for boosted low light quality (up to ISO 102,400). The camera also features what Sony's calling the "world's first dual-AF system," which includes two different phase-detect AF systems, including the same 19-point system on the A77, plus an additional 102 points on the imager itself. Video shooters will find 1080/60p and 24p options with AVCHD 2.0, including uncompressed output through HDMI (with simultaneous output to a monitor) and phase-detect focus support in video mode. There's also a 6 frames-per-second burst mode, 14-bit RAW output for stills, the same 921k-dot Xtra Fine twilt-and-swivel LCD included with the A77 with WhiteMagic and TruBlack, and the same OLED viewfinder found on the A77, NEX-6 and NEX-7, that offers slightly boosted functionality thanks to the full-frame sensor, letting photographers snag a realtime depth-of-field preview without dimming the finder. It also offers a 34-degree viewing angle and color tone adjustment control. Because the A99 offers a translucent mirror, Sony was able to eliminate the pentaprism to keep the size and weight at bay, making the DSLR lighter than the Nikon D800 and Canon 5D Mark III. Jump past the break for our hands-on.%Gallery-163051%
Sony Stitch merges footage from two 4K F65 cameras to create zoomable panoramic with HD output (video)
Well, that's a mouthful of a headline. Going a bit more in-depth, a new professional solution from Sony allows broadcasters to capture side-by-side 4K video at, say, a sporting event, then use a standard camera zoom device to select small portions of each feed for 720p or 1080i output. On the receiving end, you'll see a live image that looks indistinguishable from something you'd capture with a moving camera, with a few extra benefits to boot. Sony demonstrated the system using feeds from an F65 4K camera earlier this year at NAB, but was only able to present a simulation at that point, with pre-recorded output cropped from larger-format footage. Now, as we saw today at IBC in Amsterdam, the technique works in realtime, so an adjustable smaller portion of the video is pumped out seamlessly and instantaneously. The 4K video can also be recorded at full resolution simultaneously, letting you change the framing long after an event takes place. Sony only had the demo configured to pull live video from the left portion of the feed, but eventually the entire capture will be enabled, giving producers access to an entire football field, as you'll see in the hands-on video after the break. We wouldn't expect this solution to replace human camera operators anytime soon, but it's certainly a viable method for adding angles and placing a bit more control in the hands of production teams, even after the fact.
Samsung brings speedy UHS-I class SD and microSD memory cards in new 64GB sizes to IFA 2012
We've seen UHS-I class SD and microSD cards capable of incredible speeds before, and Samsung unveiled a few 16GB microSD modules of its own earlier this year, but now it's showing off 64GB sized versions at IFA 2012. The top of the line Pro editions intended for high speed LTE-connected phones and tablets are capable of read/write speeds at 80MB/40MB per second (SD) and 70MB/20MB per second (microSD). If you're not with us in Germany, you should be able to get your hands on them in mid-October.
Canon EOS-1D X field review
Just before Halloween in 2009, Canon announced its most powerful DSLR to date. The $5,000 professional-grade EOS-1D Mark IV was the company's answer to Nikon's market-leading D3S, which rang in just shy of $5,200. On the basis of price alone, Canon won that round. Then, after two years of silence, the company launched its new flagship, the 1D X. The date was October 18th, 2011 -- roughly 10 (or "X") years after the very first model in the series was announced, way back in 2001. A decade ago, Canon priced that introductory 1D at $5,500 -- a princely sum considering the 4.15-megapixel CCD on board. Now, the 1D X, which is arguably the most powerful sub-five-figure camera available, commands 6,799 of your hard-earned dollars, or $800 more than the D4, Nikon's $6,000 equivalent. All this talk of price may seem to skirt the camera's long list of lust-worthy features, but when the cost of any piece of hardware approaches a year's tuition at a public university, a purchase decision deserves thorough consideration. A camera in this league is absolutely to be used as a professional tool. And while deep-pocketed amateurs may pick one up -- in the way folks with cash to burn may build a collection of overpowered two-seaters -- the vast majority will live in $30,000-plus kits, where they'll reach six-figure shutter counts, and will likely change hands several times before their eventual retirement. Right now, you're probably researching the 1D X as exhaustively as you would a new car -- in fact, you may have even lined up a test drive, through the company's Canon Professional Services group. Many months after it was first announced, we've had an opportunity to take the new eXtreme model for a spin ourselves, and it's every bit as impressive as its price tag suggests. Canon's top model isn't any smaller or lighter than its predecessors, the 1D Mark IV or 1Ds Mark III -- but is all that bulk justified, despite strong contenders like the workhorse 5D? Buckle up and join us in the field (ahem, after the break) to find out.%Gallery-163255%
Motorola Defy Pro arrives in Rogers stores for $275
Canadians who need a handset capable of withstanding the frantic hustle of life can now avail themselves of Motorola's Defy Pro. The "lifeproof" smartphone should be able to withstand water, dust and hockey sticks, with a touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard working together in perfect harmony. While it's not yet online at Rogers, the chaps at MobileSyrup found units available in store -- setting you back $275 outright or from as low as a few pennies on the right contract.
AMD launches its next-gen FirePro graphics card lineup, we go hands-on at SIGGRAPH (video)
Just as you've cozied up with "Tahiti" and "Cape Verde," AMD has returned to grow its "Southern Islands" family of graphics cards with four fresh FirePros, offering up to four teraflops of graphics computing power. That spec can be found in the company's new W9000, which is capable of four TFLOPs single precision and one TFLOP double precision with a price tag just shy of $4,000. That behemoth of a card offers 6GB of GDDR5 RAM and requires 274 watts of power. More humble members of the fam include the W8000, which has the same form-factor as the higher-end W9000, but eases back on the specs, consuming 189 watts of power and carrying a $1,599 price tag. We had a chance to take a closer look at both cards at SIGGRAPH, and while they packed a significant amount of heft, you'll likely never take a second look once they're buried away in your tower rig. Fans of smaller housings (and price tags) may take notice of the W7000 and W5000, which are both considerably more compact and require less power to boot, with pricing set at $899 and $599, respectively. Those cards were also on hand for our demo, and can be seen along with the top two configs in our gallery below. You can also sneak a closer peek in the hands-on video after the break, and glance at the full specs over at our news post from earlier today.%Gallery-161943%
AMD announces $4k FirePro W9000 GPU, entry-level FirePro A300 APU for CAD and graphics pros
After a brief tease earlier this summer, AMD just announced pricing and availability for its new market-leading FirePro W9000 graphics processing unit -- the $3,999 GPU is available now through AMD resellers, and is compatible with Supermicro SuperWorkstations. Joining that "world's most powerful" rig are the W8000, W7000 and W5000, which sell for $1,599, $899 and $599, respectively, and can each power six 30-inch 4K displays. Power-hungry pros will want to opt for the top-of-the-line model in order to take advantage of four TFLOPs single precision or one TFLOP double precision, along with 6 gigs of high-speed GDDR5 RAM. The W8000, on the other hand, offers 3.23 TFLOPs single precision and 806 GFLOPs double precision, followed by the W7000 with 2.4 TFLOPs / 152 GFLOPs, both with 4 gigs of RAM, along with the W5000, which packs 1.27 TFLOPs single and 80 GFLOPs double, with 2 GB of GDDR5 RAM. Design pros with slightly more modest demands may find the FirePro A300 APU more in line with their budgets -- we don't have precise pricing to share, since third parties will ship their own configs, but terms like "entry-level" and "mainstream" make it clear that you won't be drawing in more than a couple zeros in the checkbook to make your purchase. The integrated solution utilizes AMD's Turbo Core tech, supports Eyefinity and Discrete Compute Offload, and can power horizontal display arrays of up to 10,240 x 1,600 pixels. You'll find all the nitty-gritty in the pair of press releases after the break. Update: Our pals over at HotHardware have just pushed out a review of the W8000 and W9000, but found the results to be a bit of a letdown. Hit up their post for the full skinny.
