A critical vulnerability in all recent versions of Samba could put users on the receiving end of attacks that allow hackers on the same local network to run programs with nearly unfettered administrative privileges.

Samba is an open source implementation of the file-sharing components of Microsoft Windows. Most Linux releases and a wide variety of other operating systems use Samba to handle file-sharing with Windows systems.

The newly discovered bug can be exploited by sending specially manipulated traffic to a vulnerable system. The remote code execution vulnerability resides in Samba's nmbd NetBIOS name service daemon and is the result of the daemon incorrectly handling certain memory operations. The bug was found and fixed by Volker Lendecke, a Samba Team member working for SerNet.

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Truth be told, I am a fan of closed-loop liquid cooling systems. While they might be more expensive than air coolers of similar performance, they tend to be quieter, less bulky and use fan mounts already in the case. What Thermaltake is doing with the new Water 3.0 Ultimate seems to be providing the bulkier solution with better cooling for users with larger cases. The Water 3.0 series, from Performer to Extreme, uses the standard sized CLC configurations and the new Ultimate takes on the 3x120mm form factor with relatively little competition.

In liquid cooling systems, longer radiators mean a longer retention time for the liquid to cool down. Custom loops, especially those dealing with multiple components (CPU + GPU, or >2 GPU) use either longer radiators, thicker radiators or more radiators to help generate this delta. In some cases, radiators are put between the two hot components to maximize the delta of cooler air coming in. The downside of more radiators is resistive pressure in the system, so it helps to have a pump to compensate. Thermaltake is not quoting the efficiency or flow rate of the pump, but do have it listed at 3600 RPM. Each of the three fans included with the Water 3.0 Ultimate is rated for 99 CFM at 20 dBA, but no static pressure (the key figure in pushing air through a restrictive medium) is quoted.

All modern sockets are supported (1150/1155/1156, 1366, 2011-0/2011-3, AM2/AM3/FM1/FM2), and I can imagine that this unit has a price premium over the more common 2x120mm configuration. We have no pricing information as of yet but will update when we do.

Note that Thermaltake is not averse to large water cooling systems: we spotted this 3x180mm radiator for custom loops at Computex this year:

Now, I wonder what a CLC version of that would cost.

Source: Thermaltake

Gallery: Thermaltake Goes Big: Water 3.0 Ultimate CLC Launched, 3x120mm

Marine scientists have explored an underwater mountain off the west coast of Scotland for the first time.

Ganesh recently reviewed the ECS LIVA, a mini-PC aimed at the nettop market to replace basic office machines, library computers coming out of XP support and digital signage, among other uses with its Bay Trail-M SoC. One of the key points of the ECS LIVA, apart from the minute form factor, was its use of eMMC via the SDIO rather than SATA connectivity. One comment Ganesh made was in relation to the size of this eMMC – given that it is not upgradable a 64 GB edition would be welcomed. This is not surprising – I would want more storage in a cased PC than my smartphone. It was the point of view echoed by several reviews of the LIVA, and ECS is releasing a white 64 GB to help drive this market.

There is no indication if this upgrade is double density eMMC or multiplying the number of ICs on the motherboard itself, as each of these options would impact storage performance. All other specifications (Celeron N2806, Gigabit Ethernet, 2x2 802.11 WiFi) are identical. At Computex, ECS showcased the LIVA as a system ripe for modifications in terms of aesthetics, and the white design might help those users skip a step for a base coat.

The 64 GB White Edition should be available sometime in August. We are asking about the pricing increase over the 32 GB edition.

Source: ECS

With every generation, motherboard manufacturers are increasingly using social media to provide teasers about their upcoming products. MSI had already shown one of its X99 motherboards, or at least a pre-production sample, at Computex but now another has surfaced via Facebook. The X99S SLI PLUS seems to come in an all-black delivery, although judging by the dull-ness of the rear panel one might suggest that MSI reduced the color palette to a grey scale but some red color in the USB 3.0 is still there.

Aside from the LGA2011-3 socket cover which is different to LGA2011-0, this X99 motherboard will support eight DIMMs with the power delivery isolated to above the CPU only. It looks like a single 8-pin ATX power connector, and we can tell that this motherboard is not part of MSI’s OC range as there are no overclocking buttons in the top right of the motherboard.

There are two USB 3.0 headers on the right, followed by eight SATA 6 Gbps ports. Storage also comes via a SATA Express (which has two more SATA ports) and an M.2, although as of yet we do not know whether X99 will support more than one PCIe storage device for Intel’s RST at a time, so there may still be some context of storage bandwidth switching similar to Z97. I see at least five fan headers on this motherboard, along with two USB 2.0 headers at the bottom as well as MSI’s usual power/reset/OC Genie buttons. Worth noting is the lack of a two-digit debug display.

The X99S SLI PLUS sounds like it will be aimed at a gaming crowd, however the audio portion of the motherboard looks significantly regular, more akin to a stock ALC1150 or ALC898 audio codec implementation. MSI also lists the number of PCB layers it uses on the bottom right of its boards, and this looks like an 8-layer implementation.

Teasers are great, although we cannot tell more about the storage controllers used until we get more information about the X99 chipset – whether it supports M.2/SATAe, how many SATA ports, how many USB 3.0 ports and so on. The MSI X99S SLI PLUS seems to come across as a mid-range X99 motherboard overall, especially when we consider what has been on X79 motherboards in the past.

Source: Facebook, MSI Malaysia Fanclub

One of Nanoxia’s raisons d’être is for the ultra-silent cases, even if fans are involved.  Part of the complexity of silent designs with fans is managing the air intakes and vents as this is where the noise will come from.  The latest in Nanoxia’s quest for silence is the Deep Silence 3, a steel mid-tower sized chassis to fit ATX, mATX and mini-ITX sized systems.  Compared to the previous Deep Silence models, this number three is aimed at the more budget and size conscious users without going as budget/small as the DS4.

Nanoxia is keen to promote its use of decoupled mounting of the hard disks and power supply along with anti-vibration feet and a dense foam padding designed to absorb vibrations.  This foam is used primarily in the front of the case behind the vanity panel, at the top with the fan mounting holes and inside the case panels.  The case can support eight storage drives (five 3.5”/2.5”, three dedicated 2.5”) and graphics cards up to 345 mm.  By removing the hard drive cage, this length extends up to 430mm.

For cooling, the case uses two 120mm fans in the front and a third at the rear, with an integrated 2-channel fan controller.  There is space for two 120/140mm fans at the top if the Nanoxia foam covers are removed, and another space for a 120mm at the bottom when the secondary HDD-cage is removed.  The IO panel gives two USB 3.0, a USB 2.0 as well as audio ports.

Dustin has previously reviewed a small number of Nanoxia cases, some of which are distributed within the US.  The Deep Silence 3 should be with distributors in Europe as of today, although no formal North America date has been announced.

Source: Nanoxia

Gallery: Nanoxia Releases Deep Silence 3 Mid-Tower

A couple of months ago we reviewed JMicron's JMF667H reference design SSDs, which did relatively well in our tests especially when taking JMicron's older SSD controllers into account. As always, reference designs are only meant for evaluation and do not make their way into retail, so today we are taking a look at Transcend's SSD340. Let's find out how the SSD340 compare with other SSDs, and if it can offer a value proposition that will entice buyers.

Drone Aviation Holding Company

Patrolling the skies these days is hard. There are so many options to choose from: traditional helicopters, new wide-angle surveillance planes, and even the more cutting-edge drones.

Each of these options has its drawbacks. Beyond the initial purchase price, well-tested helicopters typically cost at least hundreds of dollars per hour to send up. One-off surveillance planes are also not cheap, coming in at around $1,000 per hour. Drones, while very cheap, are problematic. Law enforcement needs a blanket Certificates of Authorization (COA) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and possibly a specific Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) each time a drone is used above 400 feet.

Enter a small Florida company now attempting to make snooping from the air both cheap and administratively easy. The Drone Aviation Holding Corporation (DAHC) recently announced that it had sold its second-ever “Blimp in a Box” for local law enforcement purposes.

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Aurich Lawson / Thinkstock

The tablet market is tapped out. We saw signs of this when Apple reported that its iPad sales were down year-on-year and we're seeing a similar message from retailers. Re/code's Walt Mossberg recently talked to Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly, who said that tablet sales had "crashed."

Global tablet sales are still rising—though less quickly than they once were—but in developed markets the tablet boom may be over. As Apple CFO Luca Maestri said in the company's earnings call, iPad sales were still growing in developing markets. The slowdown is all in the developed world. Samsung also reports that profits are down after tablet demand fell.

Moreover, Joly reported that PC sales—which the tablet was supposed to kill—have picked up. He attributed that resurgence partially to the end of support of Windows XP.

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Internet spaceships are and have always been serious business. Here, an Aurora puts the screws to a Hornet heavy fighter. Cloud Imperium Games

AUSTIN, TEXAS—We’ve already spent quite a bit of time talking about Elite: Dangerous, one of two crowdfunded, high-profile space combat simulators currently under development. However, as much as I would have liked to do so, I couldn’t take a quick day trip over to actually visit the Elite team in the UK while they were working. Visiting the Star Citizen team, on the other hand, is an entirely different matter. Cloud Imperium Games maintains an office just outside of Austin, Texas, just a few hours away from home.

So during the last week of June, I loaded up my car for the quick road trip across the blazing Texas summer prairie to poke my nose into things, learning how the game is coming along and meeting with some of the folks who are busy spending the more than $48 million dollars raised so far in Star Citizen’s mammoth crowdfunding effort. Ars last caught up with Cloud Imperium at PAX East in April 2014 at the unveiling of the game’s Arena Commander dogfighting module. Though Arena Commander took a bit longer than anticipated to actually release, I’d finally gotten some stick time and was eager to talk to the developers about the progress being made on the title.

This enormous logo adorns the wall on one of the office's hallways, bearing the surname of game designer legend Chris Roberts. (There's no logo for "Hutchinson Transgalactic Amalgamated Megacorp" yet, but I've got Aurich working with some sketches.) Lee Hutchinson

There was another reason for wanting to visit Cloud Imperium, though: it's sort of a pilgrimage for any '80s-era gamer, because the man behind Star Citizen is none other than the legendary Chris Roberts. Sadly, while we tried to arrange the visit so that Roberts’ and my paths would cross, we couldn’t quite line up schedules. Nonetheless, for someone like me who spent his childhood playing Chris Roberts' games, just visiting his design studio was like taking a field trip to Mecca.

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BagoGames

Few people know what to make of the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood mobile game. By reputation it’s boring, vapid, materialistic, and shallow—according to many serious gamers—and is deplorable not least because players can spend money to get ahead. The wails only grew louder when reports indicated that the game earned $1.6 million in its first five days and is on track to make $200 million in annual revenue, according to one analyst.

While many gamers and gaming journalists struggled to figure out why anyone would spend money on a game made by and featuring a reality TV star, we aren’t totally in the dark. For one, casting shade on the subject matter is a value judgment of a certain set of interests and lifestyle. And on a meta level, how people use their leisure time. Let he who has lived every moment deliberately immersed in deep consideration of the universe cast the first Angry Bird. Materialism in games probably does not cause materialism in the streets.

For another, Kim K is actually pretty self-aware of its own materialism and glorification of social climbing and has a sense of irony about the world it gives players to try and thrive in. To wit, one of the things you can spend in-game money on is new body parts.

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Glass Lantern, Istanbul by Eckersley O’Callaghan Institute of Structural Engineers

The shortlist for The Structural Awards 2014 has been released by the Institution of Structural Engineers.

"We hold the Structural Awards each year to recognise outstanding work by structural engineers, and to raise awareness about the vital global role they play creating innovative design solutions," said Martin Powell, chief executive of the Institution of Structural Engineers.

Among the shortlisted structures are several bridges, including one modeled on a Maori fish hook, Richard Wilson's abstract, floating Slipstream sculpture in Heathrow Airport Terminal 2 and the new Apple Store in Istanbul.

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A proposal from FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler would block an attempt by Sprint and T-Mobile US to buy spectrum together in the incentive auction that will transfer airwaves from broadcast TV stations to cellular carriers next year.

Announced on Friday, Wheeler's proposal seeks to help the smallest wireless companies develop business partnerships with larger ones. But it would not allow partnerships between the biggest carriers, since more than 95 percent of US customers are served by either AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or Verizon Wireless.

"Our goal is to promote the participation of as many parties as possible in the auction," FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Chief Roger Sherman wrote Friday. "If two of the largest companies are able to bid as one combined entity in the auction, their combined resources may have the effect of suppressing meaningful competition. Therefore, the item tentatively concludes that joint bidding arrangements between nationwide providers should not be allowed."

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While browsing the internet this evening I found a news post that started quoting UK pricing for DDR4. Given the length of time between now and the official DDR4 launch, and given that DRAM manufacturers are already announcing their kits, a quick trip to the shopping part of Google gave some interesting numbers. Several DDR4 kits had prices listed, all from one UK retailer and all from Crucial.

All the kits on offer are quad channel, with 4x8 GB and 4x4 GB kits. Notice they are all pre-order, stating a 29/8/14 ETA (or 8/29 for the US) – the end of August.

The kits at hand are offered in several speeds and price points. Note the prices above in orange are UK pricing, which includes our 20% sales tax: the black price underneath is excluding sales tax.  Here is the price comparison without tax:

2133 C16: £141.66 for 4x4GB, or £8.85 / GB
2133 C16: £274.99 for 4x8GB, or £8.59 / GB

2400 C16: £149.99 for 4x4GB, or £9.37 / GB
2400 C16: £299.99 for 4x8GB, or £9.37 / GB

2666 C15: £199.99 for 4x4GB, or £12.50 / GB
2666 C15: £399.99 for 4x8GB, or £12.50 / GB

3000 C15: £274.99 for 4x4GB, or £17.19 / GB
3000 C15: £555.55 for 4x8GB, or £17.36 / GB

Aside from the obvious price premium over DDR3, as is normal for a new technology, it is worth noting that 4x4 GB of the 3000 C15 is the same price as 4x8 GB of the 2133 C16. If Crucial are this early out of the gate with online listings, the other DRAM manufacturers should not be far behind.

Source: OverclockersUK

Gallery: Crucial DDR4 Available for Pre-Order at OverclockersUK

One focus of PC design is towards the smaller form factor. While mini-ITX is the standard ‘small’ form factor, Apacer is starting to sample their Combo SDIMMs that add storage functionality to the DRAM module (Storage + DIMM = SDIMM in this case, or so it would seem). The idea is to remove a bulky storage device attached via a cable and migrate it to another PCB – in this case, the DRAM module.  Note this means this is not extra DRAM, just two different devices on the same PCB drawing from the same power source.

These modules come with either an M.2 slot, supporting 2242/2260/2280, or a CFast memory card. Both options are still connected to the SATA interface, although they draw power from the DRAM slot rather than the motherboard directly. Apacer is thinking that users who want M.2 or CFast capabilities can purchase these combo modules and connect them without having to upgrade. Or alternatively, in order to reduce bulk in the system.

While reducing bulk in ATX might not count for much as there is plenty of space to play with, it makes more sense on mini-ITX.  Only one mini-ITX motherboard supports 2280 M.2 drives, the ASUS Z97I-Plus, but at the expense of extra routing and PCB layers to place it on the rear.  Apacer is also quoting potential use in embedded devices, with M.2 support up to 256GB and CFast to 128GB.

If an embedded device manufacturer goes custom then soldering on DRAM and adding an M.2 slot negates this new technology. The main application for Apacer, as quoted in their press release, would seem to be towards the Internet of Things and also the suspected wave of upgrades to appear now that Windows XP has officially stopped patching security flaws for regular license holders.

This Combo SDIMM adopts the DDR3 standard (I would assume DDR4 might be around the corner as well), and takes advantage of the VLP DIMM PCB design (0.748-inch in z-height) for the memory chips. Size or speed of the actual DRAM on the module is not quoted, although given the image we have access to, it would look like there will be at least 8 GB modules running at DDR3-1600 CL11. One could argue that 4x8GB of DRAM with four M.2 drives saving space could be a good thing, or even more in an X79 system. Note in the image above there is an SLI-like connector between the modules - this is presumably the SATA connector.  For the motherboard in the image, it would seem that the smart orientation would be the other way.

Apacer is now sampling customers for evaluation, which would point to an OEM only release for workstations or SFF systems.

WHO WANTS KISSES 20th Century Fox

Welcome to The Multiverse, a column where'll you'll find Ars' explorations and meditations on the world of science fiction. The Multiverse covers things we love, the things we hate, and the things we do not yet understand from source materials new and old. Send questions, tips, or just say hi to The Multiverse's writers at [email protected].

Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley stands in front of the squad of ten cocky, poised space marines. They laugh and joke, oozing bravado and testosterone—even the women. As the shavetail lieutenant lays out the situation, Bill Paxton’s mouthy PFC Hudson interrupts: "Is this going to be a stand-up fight, sir, or another bug hunt?"

"All we know is that there’s still no contact with the colony," replies the lieutenant, Gorman, "and that a xenomorph may be involved."

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Our trip to Lian Li at Computex this year sported several models of their new range of desk-based chassis, but on the side lines next to those we caught a glimpse of several cases that were almost ready to go to mass market.  One of them was the PC-V2130, which Lian Li is formally announcing the release of today.

At a volume of 94.8 liters, the full tower size will support motherboards up to HPTX, E-ATX and XL-ATX as well as ATX/mATX/mITX.  The chassis has wheels in each of the corners for mobility, and each wheel is lockable.  Total dimensions measure 237mm x 640mm x 625mm within the 9.8 kg aluminium chassis.

Up to eleven 3.5”/2.5” drives are supported, along with another four 2.5” drives on a removable bracket.  The 5.25” cage is also modular, supporting either three 5.25” devices or three of the 2.5”/3.5” drives. The rear of the motherboard also has room for another three 2.5"/3.5" drives, making eighteen possible in total. The top panel provides support for 240/280mm radiators, with space for two more 280mm radiators and the front and bottom of the chassis.  The front IO panel is on the top of the chassis and uses a stealth cover when not in use.

The chassis is designed to be as tool less as possible, and the ten PCI/PCIe expansion slots are suitable for almost any GPU arrangement. The inside of the side panel and the front door is lined with Lian Li’s sound absorbing foam, with the fan vents have removable filters.  The front of the case is protected by a lockable vanity panel and behind the motherboard is 31mm (1.2-inches) of cable management space.  Up to 360 mm of VGA card is supported, as well as 200 mm power supplies and 180 mm CPU coolers.

Lian Li will offer three models, the PC-V2130A in silver, the PC-V2130B in black and the PC-V2130X with the inside coated black with a side panel window.  MSRP for the regular models will be $499, with the windowed side panel version at $569. The cases should be available via Newegg by the end of August.

Source: Lian Li

Gallery: Lian Li’s PC-V2130 Full Tower Announced

E-mail addresses and cryptographically protected passwords for thousands of Mozilla developers were exposed through a database glitch that may have been exploited by hackers, Mozilla officials warned Friday.

About 76,000 e-mail addresses and 4,000 password hashes were left on a publicly accessible server for about 30 days beginning June 23, according to a blog post. There is no indication the data was accessed, but Mozilla officials investigating the disclosure can't rule out the possibility. Hackers who might have managed to crack the hashes wouldn't be able to use the passwords to access Mozilla Developer Network accounts, but they may be able to access other user accounts secured with the same cracked passcode. The glitch was touched off when a data "sanitization" process failed, causing the addresses and hashes to be dumped to a publicly accessible server.

"We are known for our commitment to privacy and security, and we are deeply sorry for any inconvenience or concern this incident may cause you," Stormy Peters, director of developer relations, and Joe Stevensen, operations security manager, wrote. They continued:

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Stack Exchange

This Q&A is part of a weekly series of posts highlighting common questions encountered by technophiles and answered by users at Stack Exchange, a free, community-powered network of 100+ Q&A sites.

Panzercrisis asks:

I've always liked the idea of having multiple inheritance supported in a language. Most often though it's intentionally forgone, and the supposed "replacement" is interfaces. Interfaces simply do not cover all the same ground multiple inheritance does, and this restriction can occasionally lead to more boilerplate code.

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LG's G Watch is one of the first devices to run Android Wear. Like many first generation tech products, early adopters are usually subject to problems due to design oversights and immature software. With the G Watch there have been reports from users that they are experiencing a little bit of both with an issue relating to corrosion of the watch's charging pins. The issue seems to occur primarily after long periods of exercise where the user has been sweating. This is because sweat contains salt, an electrolyte which dissolves and forms ions which allows the liquid sweat to better conduct electricity. This sweat forming around the contact pins causes corrosion in a chemical reaction where an oxide coating is formed.

It may be strange to think that a software update could fix an issue with metal corrosion on a device, but the issue occurs due to the current flow from the charging pins while surrounded by sweat. It is being reported that LG is issuing an OTA updating the watch from build number KMV78V to KMV78Y to fix the issue by disabling the current to the charging pins when the watch is not in the charging dock. A Google representative has confirmed with Android Police that this is the case and that the update began rolling out yesterday. Hopefully this update fixes the issues and saves LG from dealing with a plethora of warranty claims, and G Watch users from having to make them. The update should also address complaints from some users about discomfort and irritation of the skin underneath the charging pins on their wrists.