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Samsung 850 EVO SATA SSD -- this is the drive you've been waiting for [Review]

Publié: avril 25, 2015, 10:58pm CEST par Brian Fagioli
The absolute best upgrade for any computer that's operating system is running from a hard disk drive, is a solid state drive. Why? The performance increase is significant, while SSD prices are decreasing. In other words, you can speed up your PC without hurting your wallet.

The problem, however, is deciding which SSD to buy. While affordability and speed are important qualities, I tend to put a premium on reliability. Of course I want the drive to be fast, but the contents of the drive -- important documents and family photos -- trump anything else. Luckily, Samung's offerings have proven to be both reliable and fast, while also being reasonably priced. Today, I am taking a look at the latest and greatest SATA variant; the 850 EVO.

Upon opening the box, I was presented with rather slim pickings; the SSD and a CD-ROM. There is no 2.5 inch to 3.5 inch bracket for desktops, which I have seen included from other manufacturers. With that said, many desktop cases can accommodate 2.5 inch drives nowadays and if you really need the bracket, you can find one cheap on Amazon.

The drive (I am testing the 500GB variant) itself is very lightweight and a beautiful black color. Whether you like the color is a matter of personal preference. Personally, I like the way that it blends into my desktop, rather than standing-out with bright colors like some other companies offer. Let's be honest though; if you are putting this into a laptop, enclosure, or windowless desktop case, who cares what it looks like, right?

With most solid state drives, you simply connect it to power and data, format it to your liking and are off to the races. While you can do that here too, you will want to take an extra step -- installing the Samsung Magician software. The name is not a misnomer, as the software really does work some magic. You see, Samsung's program makes the SSD scream; exceeding the SATA data spec with some sorcery, and offering much faster performance with a special Rapid Mode.

What is this special mode? Technically, it isn't magic or sorcery. Samsung explains, "when enabled, RAPID mode is inserted as a filter driver in the Windows storage stack. The driver actively monitors all storage-related activity between and among the operating system, user applications and the SSD. The RAPID technology analyzes system traffic and leverages spare system resources (DRAM and CPU) to deliver read acceleration through intelligent caching of hot data and write optimization through tight coordination with the SSD".

Keep in mind, this is a Windows-only feature. The drive will work fine for OS X and Linux, but the performance will be significantly lowered. Even on Windows, your CPU and RAM will impact performance too.

It is important to know that my Windows 8.1 test system is very conservative -- it is an AMD AM1 budget system. Below are the notable specs.
- Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-AM1M-S2H
- APU: AMD Athlon 5350 Kabini 2.05GHz Quad-Core
- RAM: AMD 8GB DDR3 1600
It is also important to note that I am using the 850 EVO as the Windows OS drive. In other words, it is not being benchmarked or tested as a secondary drive. It is connected directly to the motherboard, which has a SATA 3 connection and not an add-on card. Also, there are no other drives connected to the motherboard, except for a Blu-ray burner, which was never in use during testing.

With Samsung's Magician software installed, I followed its instructions to optimize the drive and Windows 8. I set OS Optimization to "Maximum Performance", but there are also options for "Maximum Capacity" and "Maximum Reliability".

Also, I enabled Over Provisioning, which designates a small amount of space to remain unused. While this does decrease the available storage, it should increase both performance and lifespan of the 850 EVO. In my case, 465.76GB was available after formatting, and 46.58GB was reserved for this technique.

With everything optimized, it was time to close all non-essential running programs, and launch CrystalDiskMark x64. You can see the results below.

Do you see these impressive speeds? Insanity! Believe it or not, as great as these speeds are, they could be much higher with a more high-end system. Unfortunately, the AMD Athlon 5350 Kabini and associated platform is a bottleneck with the aforementioned Rapid Mode. With that said, most consumers do not have bleeding edge computers, so it is important to see reviews and benchmarks from low-end systems too.

In real world testing, the drive is extremely fast when moving files and booting. Quite frankly, this system boots faster than my higher-end Surface Pro 3.

Below is the performance with Rapid Mode turned off. This is the performance you can expect on Linux or OS X. This puts the speed more in line with normal SATA solid state drives. Again, the low-end nature of my desktop is likely a bottleneck here too. A more powerful CPU will likely yield a modest increase.

If you need a SATA SSD, and you run Windows, there is no other drive that you should be targeting. Not only is the 850 EVO blazing fast and well supported, but more importantly, Samsung's drives have proven to be reliable. If you value your data, Samsung is a smart choice. Even OS X and Linux users should consider the drive for this reason, despite the lack of the amazing Rapid Mode. Highly recommended.
Google and Facebook offer support after Nepal earthquake

Publié: avril 25, 2015, 8:41pm CEST par Mark Wilson

When disaster strikes, technology can often be put to good use. Following the devastating earthquake that struck Nepal this week, Google and Facebook are among the companies helping those in the area, as well as people looking for friends and relatives.

Google's People Finder does very much what it says on the tin. It's a very simple website that enables people to publish requests for information about loved ones, as well as giving those with information somewhere to share it. Facebook's Nepal Earthquake Safety Check provides a similar feature.

Google People Finder can be accessed through mobile devices or computers, and also includes an SMS function to improved accessibility. If you're concerned about someone you know in the area you can search through the People Finder database for information, but if you have information about someone you can add details yourself. Google points out that it "does not review or verify the accuracy of this data."

At the same time, Facebook has launched its Safety Check feature for the earthquake. Like Google's feature, it works two ways. Visit the website and Facebook will let you know if any of the people you are connected to are in the area. If you have had contact from them, you can indicate that they are safe to put others' minds at rest.

Writing on Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg said:

This morning we activated Safety Check for people affected by the earthquake in Nepal. It's a simple way to let family and friends know you're okay.

If you're in one of the areas affected by the earthquake, you'll get a notification asking if you're safe, and whether you want to check on any of your friends.

When disasters happen, people need to know their loved ones are safe. It's moments like this that being able to connect really matters.

My thoughts are with everyone who's been caught up in this tragedy.

The Safety Check tool can also be used by people in the area to broadcast the fact that they are OK.

Photo credit: Vectors.1 / Shutterstock
Philips lets you control your Hue lights from Apple Watch

Publié: avril 25, 2015, 3:01pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

Yesterday was the big day for Apple Watch, and also a big day for companies looking to capitalize on the hype and sales. We've seen Amazon jump on board, along with many others. Now the top lighting manufacturer in the world is getting into the game also, as Philips announces that it will be offering customers the chance to control their Hue lights right from their wrists.

Hue, if you aren't familiar, is a line of lightbulbs that are internet connected and can be controlled from multiple devices -- Apple Watch is the latest.

"We know that light is at the heart of the digital home,” says Eric Rondolat, Chief Executive Officer at Philips Lighting. "With Apple Watch you can instantly adapt Philips Hue lighting to suit every moment and occasion. Together we are making personalized lighting simpler and more accessible through the convenience of Apple Watch".

Philips points out that if you have geofencing activated then your lights can be on when you arrive home and you'll get that notification via your watch.

"As a part of a seamless ecosystem covering bulbs, lamps and controls, as well as integration with the Apple HomeKit; Philips Hue offers new lighting experiences that are personal to you", the manufacturer states.

You can get more information at the MeetHue website.
Did you buy Apple Watch? Tell us about it

Publié: avril 25, 2015, 4:14am CEST par Joe Wilcox
Today we closed our poll asking readers if they would purchase the first fruit from the field tended by Tim Cook. Apple Watch marks the era of new gadgetry developed on the CEO's, er, watch. Sales started today, which effectively meant preordering two weeks ago. All three models are sold out from the company's online store, which lists ship dates as "June" for orders placed April 24.

Are you one of the lucky Apple Watch buyers? That's assuming you feel lucky. Two-thousand forty-nine people responded to our poll, with a stunning (and, honestly, unbelievable) 42 percent planning to buy the gadget. Really? Someone wants this gadget.

Meanwhile, 32 respondents say they will buy the Edition model, which price ranges from $10,000 to $17,000. Assuming an average selling price of $12,000, those nearly three-dozen buyers are worth $384,000 to Apple. Ah, is that all.

A finding that is somewhat validating, the final number of poll respondents is consistently split between the other two timepieces: 21 percent for Sport and 19 percent the stainless steel wearable. Fifty-four percent of you give Apple Watch a no -- 13 percent because you either own a smartwatch or plan to buy another. I'm among this group -- purchasing Moto 360 on Valentine's Day for use with Nexus 6.

If you bought the Apple Watch, please indulge our curiosity by explaining why. If you truly love the thing, your response could cause others to order, too. Please tell us:
- Which model you bought and with what band
- The price you paid Apple for the privilege
- What do you like about the timepiece
- What do you dislike about the watch
- Would you recommend it?
- Photo link, perhaps?
The latter also is for verification purposes, so that everyone reading the response knows you aren't some bullshitter trolling for attention. Respond to as much or as little as you like, but, please, tell us something about your Apple Watch experience. Comment away!

Photo Credit: Shinya Suzuki
Microsoft continues earning money from Linux -- increases patent licensing agreements

Publié: avril 25, 2015, 3:20am CEST par Brian Fagioli

Many people -- let's call them 'haters' -- like to make fun of Microsoft's mobile market share with Windows Phone. True, the platform is a failure in this regard, but many users of the OS like it. Quite frankly, besides the lack of apps, Windows Phone is a rather smart and well-designed operating system.

If you choose to laugh at Microsoft over its mobile presence, feel free, but please know that Microsoft is laughing too; all the way to the bank. What you may not know is, Microsoft makes money from Android handset sales thanks to its patent portfolio. In fact, it also collects money from Chromebooks too. In other words, Microsoft is profiting from Linux, since both operating systems are based on the kernel. Today, Microsoft increases its number of patent licensing agreements, by making a deal with Qisda Corp.

"Microsoft Corp. and Qisda Corp. on Friday signed a worldwide patent licensing agreement that provides broad coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio for an array of Qisda and BenQ devices, including smartphones and tablets, running the Android and Chrome operating systems", says Microsoft.

Nick Psyhogeos, vice president and executive director of Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC explains, "today’s agreement demonstrates the power of licensing to accelerate innovation, because it will provide Qisda with greater patent protection as it brings new devices to market. With this agreement, Microsoft has now entered into patent licensing collaboration agreements with nearly all the top Taiwanese original device manufacturers (ODMs). We are pleased that companies around the world continue to see the value of our patent portfolio, and view mutual respect for patents as an important element of building broader business partnerships".

This agreement with Qisda simply highlights Microsoft's money-generating machine -- its patent portfolio. While I am sure the company wants Windows Phone and the soon-to-be-released Windows 10 for phones to be successful, collecting money from Android and Chromebook sales is definitely a healthy consolation prize.

Does it upset you to know Microsoft is profiting from Android and Chrome OS? Tell me in the comments.

Photo Credit: Julien Tromeur/Shutterstock