Norbert Hirschhorn talks to Lizzie Crouch about the discovery of Oral Rehydration Therapy, a simple concoction of sugar, salts and water that has saved over 50 million lives worldwide.

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."

Read 24 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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:

Read on Ars Technica | Comments

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.

Read 26 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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.

The mobile browsing experience on Windows Phone has steadily improved, taking a big leap forward in Windows Phone 8.1 with its Internet Explorer 11 browser. However, it's still not as good as that of the iPhone. A big part of that isn't because of Internet Explorer—it's because of mobile sites either not recognizing that Internet Explorer on Windows Phone is a mobile browser or using coding that's specific to Mobile Safari.

The forthcoming Windows Phone 8.1 Update, as well as adding Cortana support for China and the UK, support for new form factors and accessories, and other minor improvements, aims to make Internet Explorer a much better mobile browser.

To do this, the Internet Explorer team has looked at the 500 most popular mobile sites to check their behavior on Windows Phone, and, if they behave poorly, figure out what the problem is. The company says that the work it has done for the Update improves the browser's behavior in more than 40 percent of these sites.

Read 12 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Los Angeles authorities are weighing whether they may legally block hobbyists from flying camera-equipped drones over police stations.

The inquiry was prompted Friday after the LAPD confronted a Southern California man outside its Hollywood station. The cops told him he was trespassing for using a drone to capture footage of the station's parking lot, and ordered him to stop. The incident is posted to YouTube.

“What concerns us is that they are filming over private property and it's gated – you’re looking at the layout of the police station, how we operate, personnel license plates,” police Lt. Michael Ling said. “It’s kind of like if it was your house, if they’re flying over your backyard you’d start asking questions about it.”

Read 5 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Ciaran McGuiggan

Earlier this week, mobile payments company Square announced that it had developed a credit card reader that will verify purchases from an embedded chip on the card. Currently, US consumers primarily rely on swipe-and-sign credit cards, which give card details to a merchant through the magnetic stripe on the back. But because the swipe-and-sign system became overburdened with instances of fraud, MasterCard, Visa, and other financial groups decided in 2012 that they would transition their systems to a chip-based setup called EMV (eponymous for EuroPay, MasterCard, and Visa, the three primary developers of the standard) by October 2015.

Square is hoping to capitalize on this transition by being one of the first companies out of the gate in the US to offer small and medium-sized business owners a smaller, less-expensive alternative to buying a whole new set of credit card terminals.

The EMV standard works using a chip that's embedded in a credit card, which effectively acts as a mini-computer. Instead of swiping quickly and having your card give its details to a merchant's point of sale (POS) system, an EMV card creates a unique code for each transaction and (ideally) requires the consumer to enter a PIN associated with the card instead of relying on a signature. Because of this, EMV is often called chip-and-PIN. Making a purchase with an EMV card also requires the card to be present in the card reader throughout the transaction.

Read 15 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Aurich Lawson

An Austrian privacy activist has launched a wide-reaching class action suit against Facebook Ireland for breaching European data protection law.

Anyone outside of the US and Canada can join activist and law student Max Schrems' suit via the website fbclaim.com, since they will have signed up to Facebook's terms and conditions via the Dublin-based European subsidiary. That amounts to around 82 percent of all Facebook users. After being live for just one hour, the site has collected 100 participants.

The suit is seeking damages of €500 ($537) per user, and injunctions to be levied on the company for the following breaches:

Read 17 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Congress hasn't done much this year in the area of tech policy, but Congressional leaders and President Obama are both ready to crow about one of the few things that did get done—the passage of a bill allowing consumers to unlock their cell phones.

Obama signed the bill today, and according to a blog post on the White House web site, thus achieved "a rare trifecta: a win for American consumers, a win for wireless competition, and an example of democracy at its best."

The celebratory blog post was written by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Jeff Zients, assistant to the President for Economic Policy. It explains the origins of the bill as an electronic petition by phone unlocker and "digital rights activist" Sina Khanifar, who ultimately garnered 114,000 signatures that got sent to the White House.

Read 5 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Net Market Share

Windows 8 and Internet Explorer, especially version 11, have been growing steadily since their release. But that growth came to a halt in June, and it didn't pick up in July, with Microsoft's new operating system in fact declining ever so slightly. But one battle that's been raging for years has quietly seen a big change: Android's presence on the Web has passed iOS's.

Net Market Share Net Market Share

The big desktop mover in July was Chrome, which is now up past 20 percent usage share. It gained a substantial 1.03 points, making big gains for two months in a row. Internet Explorer and Firefox both lost out, dropping 0.37 and 0.46 points respectively. Safari and Opera were also slightly down, falling by 0.12 and 0.06 points.

Net Market Share Net Market Share

Safari has been on a downward trajectory for the better part of a year, as Android is making its presence felt on the Web. While Android has been consistently outselling iOS, this hasn't been well reflected in Web data, suggesting perhaps a different usage pattern among Android buyers. But all those sales count for something. Apple's browser is down 1.24 points. Android Browser is also down, falling 0.81 points, but Chrome is up a whopping 1.36 points, and the cross-platform Opera Mini is also up, gaining 0.8 points. Mobile Internet Explorer reached a new high, too, gaining 0.49 points in July.

Read 3 remaining paragraphs | Comments

The Berlin Historical Museum is holding the only exhibition in Germany to look at the war and its European and global implications.

The death of a Staten Island man whose filmed arrest went viral online last month was ruled a homicide on Friday.

New York medical examiners said that the chokehold and other force applied by New York police officers were the primary cause of Eric Garner’s death.

The taping is one in a myriad to recently surface online that apparently captured police abuse. Yet the footage—and the medical examination in this case—tell a more complete story than the NYPD's initial assessment of the incident.

Read 5 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Zubair Ahmed reports on the search for survivors after a landslide buried Malin village in western India.

Samsung was late in making a patent royalty payment to Microsoft over the Android phones it sells, and today that led to the predictable result: a lawsuit.

"Today's legal action is simply to enforce our contract with Samsung," Microsoft wrote in a blog post explaining its actions. "We don't take lightly filing a legal action, especially against a company with which we've enjoyed a long and productive partnership."

The two companies reached a patent deal in 2011, in which Samsung presumably paid Microsoft for the patents it says apply to devices running Google's Android operating system.

Read 4 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Ian Pannell reports from Gaza city where people returned to their devastated homes to salvage their belongings during a brief ceasefire.

Ars Culture Editor Casey Johnston fills her TV screen with Flappy Bird... and quickly fails. Casey Johnston

It's been nearly six months since Flappy Bird officially ended its meteoric rise up the mobile app store charts, taken down by Vietnamese creator Dong Nguyen out of discomfort with the game's addictiveness and unanticipated attention from fans and haters. Now, after hinting that the game might return in the future, sequel Flappy Birds Family has quietly appeared in the Amazon App Store, touting its compatibility with the Fire TV set-top box.

The Amazon page suggests compatibility with "Android 3.0," but the game doesn't seem to be installable on any device except the set-top Fire TV. The listed developer, Dotgears, has one other Fire TV game to its name, the Nguyen-developed Super Ball Juggling.

Flappy Birds Family's product description from Amazon touts "incredible new features" such as "Person vs Person mode, more obstacles, more fun and still very hard." In addition to local split-screen multiplayer and multiple colored birds, the game now has floating, cloud-shaped ghosts to avoid and standard Mario-style pipes. "Enjoy playing the game at home (not breaking your TV) with your family and friends," the description says.

Read 2 remaining paragraphs | Comments