How-To Install FreeNAS To USB Drive

FreeNAS is an Open Source Storage Platform based on FreeBSD and supports sharing across Windows, Apple, and UNIX-like systems. It comes with a lot of protocols and services – here are some to mention: CIFS (samba), FTP, NFS, TFTP, AFP, RSYNC, Unison, iSCSI (initiator and target) and UPnP, Software RAID (0,1,5), ZFS, disk encryption, S.M.A.R.T/email monitoring with a WEB configuration interface (from m0n0wall). You can use it to build your own secure network file server to store all your important information on.

FreeNAS can be installed on compact Flash/USB key, hard drive or booted from LiveCD (version 7.x). Personally I like to install it on USB key to keep the software separate from the data on the hard disk. The rest of this article will show you how to do it. At the time of writing the current stable version is 8.0.2. The little graph on the right shown the number of downloads – this is what people download most:

They also have a 32-bit version (FreeNAS-8.0.2-RELEASE-i386.iso) and 64-bit version (FreeNAS-8.0.2-RELEASE-amd64.iso). You should choose 32-bit or 64-bit based on the hardware of the computer you are going to run FreeNAS on:

Download the .iso file from Source Forge and save it to your hard drive, for example in C:\Temp folder.

From here you can do two things:

1. Burn the .iso file to a CD. This will give you a bootable CD from where you can install FreeNAS to a hard drive or USB stick. The older versions (7.x) also had an option to run FreeNAS from the CD without installing it. With version 8.x this option is not available anymore.

2. Extract the embedded version of FreeNAS from the .iso file and write it directly to a USB stick. This is a faster way of getting FreeNAS installed but will not allow you to add additional software later.

In this article we are going to take the second approach. I will provide a separate posting on how to do variant 1 and install Transmission.

Note: As of version 8.0.1-BETA3 the image size increased. The new size requires a 2 GB USB storage device.

Step 1) Extract the FreeNAS image

We need to extract a file from the .iso file. If you already have a tool that can do that go ahead and use it. If not you can install the Daemon Tools Lite which is free for home personal use. Mount the .iso file and extract the FreeNAS_i386_embedded.xz (32-bit version) file. In case you downloaded the 64-bit version the name of the file will be FreeNAS_amd64_embedded.xz. Copy it to your hard disk.

For the rest of the article I will assume we chose the 32-bit version.

The .xz file is a compressed file. Un-compress it and extract FreeNAS_i386_embedded which is the image we have to write to the USB drive.

I use 7-Zip for extracting the files from .xz file. Make sure you use the latest version of 7-Zip. Right-click the FreeNAS_i386_embedded.xz file and choose 7-Zip -> Extract Here. This will extract FreeNAS_i386_embedded file and place it in C:\Temp

Step 2) Prepare the USB key

Plug the USB key in your PC and format the disk as FAT32. Sometimes Windows will not be able to format it (if it was partitioned or formatted with Linux file system for example). In this case you should try a “low-level” format using this tool:

HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool

Step 3) Write the FreeNAS image to USB key

The next step is to download Physdiskwrite from here. It is a ZIP file. Unzip it and copy physdiskwrite.exe and PhysGUI.exe to C:\Temp. Run PhysGUI.exe. It has a graphical interface and will display information about storage devices (hard drives and USB devices:

Remember the Device ID (first column) of your USB stick. Open a command prompt, change the folder to C:\Temp and type:

physdiskwrite -u FreeNAS-i386-embedded

It will list the disks (the same Device ID you got from Physdiskwrite) and will ask you to which of them to write the file. In my case it is drive 1 (type 1 and press)

It will ask you to confirm (press y followed by)

The program will start writing the file and you can see the progress. After it is done you have USB stick with FreeNAS installed on it. To try it reboot your computer and make sure it boots from the USB stick (either change the boot sequence in BIOS or use one of the hot keys during boot to enter the menu where you can select the device to boot from).

Some people are experiencing problems at this step. One suggested solution (thanks Jim) is:

Open a command window as admin (“cmd”)
Type “diskpart” and hit enter.
Type “list disk” and hit enter to find out the number of your drive.
Type “select disk X” (where you replace X with the number of your drive) and hit enter.
Type “clean” and hit enter.

after that go back to your temp folder and then try the process again.

If something goes wrong and you do not get a working FreeNAS on USB stick then try the first method – burn the .ISO file to a CD, boot from the CD and install FreeNAS to USB.

If you decide to go for version 7.x you get bit-torrent client (Transmission). It is missing in 8.0.2 but there are plans to be included in the future versions.

See Roadmap for 8.1

That is all.

Or almost. Probably you could have got the same information elsewhere – in the Google’s age it is hard to be original. Actually some time ago I came across a discussion about whether the blogging was declining. There were several responses in support of this – people were not seeing much sense in re-posting information available in 1000’s other places.

Saying that I would like to thank you for visiting my blog.

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Apple iPhone 6 vs Huawei Honor 6 Plus Camera Review

The Huawei Honor 6 Plus made the headlines a few days back with its variable aperture dual rear camera setup. We have already added a few samples from the phone in our previous article and today, we have some more camera samples which are compared with Apple iPhone 6 camera samples. 

Variable aperture is made possible with the help of the advanced algorithms inside the Honor 6 Plus. Using the feed from both the 8MP rear cameras, the phone lets the user control aperture ranges from f/0.96 to f/16. In the camera menu, there is a slider which changes these aperture levels, even after the image has been captured. The two 8MP symmetrical cameras at the back along with the powerful 3IE algorithm make this all possible. The primary 8MP camera in the setup features auto-focus with f/2.0 aperture and the secondary 8MP has a fixed focus with f/2.4. 

The primary camera focuses on nearby objects and the secondary fixed-focus camera captures a flat image. With a combination of the two sensors, the Honor 6 Plus offers features such as variable aperture, depth of field and faster HDR. This also helps in better low light performance, which you'll clearly see in the pictures given below.

Huawei Honor 6 Plus

Apple iPhone 6

Huawei Honor 6 Plus

Apple iPhone 6

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Pear Linux OS 8

Pear OS 8 was released recently. Pear OS main goal is to be an Ubuntu/Debian based Linux Operating System for Desktop, Notebook, Phones and Tablets. Pear OS 8 is based on GNOME but look and feel is similar and inspired from newly released Apple iOS7. Pear Cloud is the newly included feature in Pear OS 8 to backup and sync data over the internet.

You’ll get 2 GB of space to organize your data on Pear Cloud. This post describes the installation of newly released Pear OS 8 version. Pear OS is freely available to download and use which has a simple and powerful interface. You will experience complete multimedia functions and for those users who prefer Apple iOS like operating system.

Recommended Minimum System Requirements

• 700 Mhz CPU Processor
• 512 MB Memory
• 8 GB Free Disk Space
• 1024×768 Screen resolution
• Removable Media drive or USB port

Applications included in Pear OS 8

• Pear Software Center
• Shotwell
• Empathy IM
• Firefox
• Pear Cloud
• Thunderbird Mail
• Brasero Disc Burner
• Musique
• VLC Media Player
• Pear Contacts
• PPA Manager

Pear OS 8 Download

Pear OS 8 is available for 32bit and 64bit. I’ve used 32bit version in this installation. You can download Pear Linux OS 8 for 32bit pearos8-i386.iso from here  and 64bit pearos8-64.iso here.

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Western Digital 1TB Live Hub Mixes Set-Top Box

Western Digital announced on Tuesday a new set-top box, the WDTV Live Hub, which combines streaming of Web content like Netflix with a 1 TB hard drive for playing your media on your HDTV.

The competition in the field of set-top TV boxes is heating up faster than ever. Google TV, Apple TV, Roku, Boxee and others all allow users to access content from the Web via services like Netflix, Pandora and YouTube, all on their TV. Western Digital's WDTV Live Plus hasn't received quite the press of those other devices, but it's a good way to stream Web content, and your own music and movie collection, to your TV.

On Tuesday, Western Digital announced a new model in the WDTV line, called the WDTV Live Hub, that takes the capabilities of the WDTV Live Plus, and adds a new interface (in an attempt to improve upon the poor interface of the Live Plus) and a 1-terabyte hard drive for storing local content.

Essentially, the WDTV Live Hub is a combination of a networked hard drive that allows you to access its data from other devices, and a set-top box that streams Web content. The 1TB drive is large enough for most people's media collections, and the Live Hub can be paired with Live Plus devices (which are still going to be sold, for $99) to stream content from the Hub to other screens around your house. It's one box, with all your media (both that you own and from various Web services), that connects to your TV for simple viewing.

The 1.22-pound Live Hub supports 1080p HD playback via an HDMI TV output, can stream from Netflix, Pandora and other services, and gets first-run movies from Blockbuster on Demand. WD claims that the Live Hub has the ability to play "virtually any media file." It supports a huge number of file formats, from images to videos and music files, and doesn't appear to have any of the Apple TV's or Roku's restrictions.

Western Digital has also apparently learned a few lessons from the Live Plus box as well, and a number of improvements havefound their way into the Live Hub. There's support for a wireless keyboard for easier navigation and search, as well as a brand-new interface that WD says is much improved.

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DLNA extension enables multi-screen delivery through Set-Top-Box

MSOs and other service providers will soon be able to deliver multi-screen content directly through set-top boxes, in addition to – or instead of – the broadband channel. The enabler will be the DLNA CVP-2 guidelines published today.

Service providers have long been able to securely distribute IP-based content through broadband networks and broadband routers and still maintain security for the content. Previously, secure multi-screen distribution of MPEG-based pay TV content delivered through the set-top was not possible.

While the prospect of creating a home network using a set-top/gateway is no doubt enticing, success will depend entirely on encouraging the participation of enough service providers and consumer electronics (CE) companies.

"DLNA’s new CVP-2 Guidelines provide the industry with a foundation to significantly enhance consumer enjoyment of premium content offerings from their service provider. Content providers' rights are preserved, devices will have greater functionality, and consumers will have greater viewing device options. This is a win for all stakeholders,” said Tom Lookabaugh, chief R&D officer, CableLabs. CableLabs is a contributing member in the DLNA group, contributing to the development of the technology.

As of now, few companies have publicly committed to using DLNA CVP-2 – even among the contributing members. In addition to CableLabs, they include Comcast, Cox Communications, and Time Warner Cable, Broadcom and Samsung.

That said, interest in the technology has begun to percolate. At the recent CES, companies that showed technology or demonstrated support for DLNA CVP-2 included ARM, Broadcom, Access, AwoX, JetHead, SiliconDust, Videon and ViXS Systems.

Joerg Eggink, product director at Access, said, “…we're already seeing very high levels of interest from our broadcast and CE device customers.”

Karthik Ranjan, ARM marketing director, operator relations, said, “The ARM ecosystem has invested heavily in HTML5 technology within the mobile market, which will in turn provide huge commercial gains for the Pay TV sector as it will have access to the constant and rapid innovation.”

David DeAndrade, a fellow in Comcast’s office of the CTO, is a spokesman for DLNA. He said in an interview with CED that there have also been some European satellite and telco service providers who have been involved, though they did not participate at the official “Contributor” level.

He acknowledged that the adoption of DLNA CVP-2 will have a chicken-and-egg element to it. The technology will require a critical mass of both service providers and CE companies. Given that, it’s notable that Apple has not participated in the effort so far.

“Success will invite more service providers in, and more CE companies in. If we get a good launch this could very well become a success,” DeAndrade said.

DLNA CVP-2 is implemented using open source technologies including linux platforms, HTML5, MPEG-DASH, and DTCP-IP, the digital rights management (DRM) software that authorizes and enables sharing within a home network.

Support for DLNA CVP-2 is also built into the RDK software stack, DeAndrade noted.

Products will have to be certified before being marketed. Certification is expected to begin in September. There will be five or six organizations that will perform certification testing around the world. In the U.S., the University of New Hampshire will be one.

DLNA expects certified products to hit the market at the end of this year.

DLNA CVP-2 provides several advantages, but the topline benefit is the ability to deliver video in a home network through a set-top or gateway, as opposed to an Ethernet/Wi-Fi router, no other equipment required.

Display devices can include PCs, Blu-ray players, game consoles, laptops and other mobile devices. Every device that would connect in a DLNA CVP-2 would need to be enabled with the technology. In many cases, that might require a simple app download for CE devices.

It is up to the CE companies to create those apps for their products. The way the technology is set up, the CE device will go out and discover the gateway, and access the remote user interface (RUI).

Because the RUI is HTML5-based, it can be consistent across all devices.

Once connected, the viewer can then go through the menu of content available. If Comcast were to adopt this technology, for instance, that would all go through the X1 platform.

The number of devices that could be supported would depend on the number of tuners in the set-top/gateway; gateways typically have 4 or 6.

It would be up to service providers to provide support pages that explain what the service is, what devices will be supported, and where to download apps for devices that can be used but didn’t come with the necessary software already installed.

Service providers would need to install a DLNA server.

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Macs undetectable virus that "can't be removed"

A security researcher has discovered a way to infect Macs with malware virtually undetectable and that 'can't be removed.'

The attack, which has been called Thunderstrike, installs the malicious code into the Boot ROM of the system via the Thunderbolt port.

Trammell Hudson, who works for hedge fund Two Sigma Investments and is also the creator of the Magic Lantern open-source programming environment for Canon DSLRs, discovered the vulnerability after his employer asked him to look into the security of Apple notebooks.

"A few years ago we were considering deploying MacBooks and I was asked to use my reverse engineering experience to look into the reports of rootkits on the Mac to see if it was possible to patch the firmware to be secure against them," wrote Hudson in a summary of the vulnerability.

After initially discovering that the Boot ROM could be tampered with if the notebook was physically dismantled to give access to the chip soldered onto the motherboard, he then refined this technique so the attack could be carried out via the system's Thunderbolt port.

"It turns out that the Thunderbolt port gives us a way to get code running when the system boots," Wrote Hudson. "Thunderbolt brings the PCIe bus to the outside world and at boot time the EFI firmware asks attached devices if they have any Option ROMs to be run."

Hudson discovered that he could use a modified Apple gigabit Ethernet Thunderbolt adapter to carry out the attack.

"Since it is the first OS X firmware bootkit, there is nothing currently scanning for its presence. It controls the system from the very first instruction, which allows it to log keystrokes, including disk encryption keys, place backdoors into the OS X kernel and bypass firmware passwords," Hudson said.

And once it is on your system, it is incredibly hard to remove.

"It can't be removed by software since it controls the signing keys and update routines. Reinstallation of OS X won't remove it. Replacing the SSD won't remove it since there is nothing stored on the drive."

"The classic 'evil-maid' attacks also are feasible. Given a few minutes alone with your laptop, Thunderstrike allows the boot ROM firmware to be replaced, regardless of firmware passwords or disk encryption," explains Hudson. "So while you are getting breakfast at the hotel during a conference and leave the machine in your room and house-cleaning comes by to make up the bed, install the firmware backdoors, and replace the towels."

According to Hudson, Thunderstrike "is effective against every MacBook Pro/Air/Retina with Thunderbolt."

Fortunately, Hudson reports that Apple is working on an update that will prevent malicious code from being written to the Boot ROM via the Thunderbolt port. However, this update would not protect the system from having the Boot ROM tampered with directly.

One defense against this would be to paint over the case screws with glitter nail polish and take close-up photos of the seal you created. The glitter in the nail polish sets into a random pattern that would be impossible to replicate, and as long as you keep the photos safe, you can make sure they screws haven't been messed with.

via www.zdnet.com

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Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, debuted September 19

At a Glance

Apple recently introduced the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. Both devices launched on September 19 in the first wave of countries. The first reviews describe the units as "thin and sexy", "bigger and better", with impressive battery life.

Specs

• 4.7-inch iPhone 6 features a 1334 x 750 display
• 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus features a 1920 x 1080 display
• 16 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB
• $199, $299, and $399 / $299, $399, and $499

Apple has launched two new iPhones, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. Along with larger screens and a completely new iPad-style design with an ultra thin body and rounded corners, the two new phones offer faster processors, better cameras, and Apple's new Apple Pay payment system.

Apple's new iPhones are available in Gold, Silver, and Space Gray, and are available in 16, 64, and 128 GB capacities. The iPhone 6 pricing starts at $199 on contract, while the iPhone 6 Plus pricing starts at $299.

While both models include the same 64-bit A8 chip and the same general design, there are several differences between the two phones. The iPhone 6 measures in at 6.9mm, while the iPhone 6 Plus is slightly thicker at 7.1mm. Apple's iPhone 6 Plus also has three major differentiating factors: optical image stabilization for the camera, and a longer battery life, and an iPad-style landscape mode that displays more content on the screen.

Though the iPhone 6 Plus has optical image stabilization, both phones got some major camera improvements in form of sensor upgrades, improved tone mapping, better noise reduction, and new "Focus Pixel" technology, which improves the phone's ability to select autofocus points. For videos, there's a new 240fps slo-mo option, along with support for shooting in 1080p at 60fps. The front-facing camera was also upgraded, with an f/2.2 aperture that lets in more light and new burst mode capabilities.

Both phones have an impressive new "Retina HD Display," with the iPhone 6 featuring a resolution of 1334 x 750 (326 ppi) and the iPhone 6 Plus featuring a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (401 ppi).

Design wise, the phones more closely resemble the iPad and the iPod touch than the iPhone 5s. Both models have soft, rounded corners and a curved glass screen that melds smoothly into the thin metal body of the device. The volume buttons on the left side of the device are now pill-shaped, and the power button is located on the right side of the device for easier one-handed use.

How to Buy

The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus launched on September 19 in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, and Singapore, following pre-orders that began on Friday, September 12. On Friday, September 26, Apple expanded iPhone 6 and 6 Plus availability to more than 20 additional countries, including New Zealand, Italy, Denmark, and Taiwan, and on October 17, the two devices became available in China, India and Monaco. Later in the month of October, Apple expanded availability to 33 additional countries.

Apple is selling the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus both online and in its retail stores. Though supplies were initially constrained, stock of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus appears to be improving in the United States and other countries around the world. In the U.S., new orders of both devices ship in just 1 business day for 16 and 64GB models and 3 to 5 business days for 128GB models.

In store supply of both devices is also improving, with retail stores receiving shipments on a near-daily basis. The iStockNow tracking tool can be used to see which models of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are currently in stock at a variety of stores, including Apple's retail stores.>

According to an Apple representative, response to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus was "incredible," setting a new record for pre-orders, and sales topped 10 million during the phone's launch weekend. While it remains uncertain whether consumers preferred the smaller iPhone 6 or the larger iPhone 6 Plus, early analysis suggests buyers favored the iPhone 6 3:1 over the iPhone 6 Plus.

Apple's iPhone 6 is available in 16, 64, and 128 GB capacities, priced at $199, $299, and $399, respectively, with a two-year contract. The iPhone 6 Plus is available in 16, 64, and 128 GB capacities and will be priced $100 higher at $299, $399, and $499, respectively. Both the iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus are available in Space Gray, Gold, and Silver.

Issues

"Bendgate"

Shortly after the iPhone 6 Plus was released on September 19, reports of the device bending when placed in a pocket began to surface. One user, for example, reported slight bending after the iPhone was in a pocket for approximately 18 hours, and after that, several other reports trickled in.

Inspired by the reports of bending, a YouTuber created a video depicting him bending the iPhone 6 Plus with his hands, causing significant damage to the device. The video went viral, and began people worrying about bending the iPhone 6 Plus in their pockets.

It is important to note when watching the video above that the amount of pressure placed on the device is unlikely to be replicated in daily usage. While images have depicted slight bending, there has been no extreme warpage in the casing due to carrying the device in a pocket.

Affected users have reported that Apple has replaced devices that have bent. As shown in another video, the iPhone 6 Plus is less vulnerable to bending when placed in a rigid case, and users can also avoid bending the iPhone by removing it from a pocket before sitting down.

A followup bending video featuring the iPhone 6 demonstrated that the smaller-screened device is much harder to bend and therefore likely less vulnerable to bending when placed inside of a pocket.

In response to all of the media attention that the iPhone 6 Plus bending issues garnered, Apple released a statement to several different sites saying that with normal use, bending in the iPhone is "extremely rare." The company said that only nine customers had complained about a bent iPhone 6 Plus.

In addition to releasing a statement, Apple also invited several reporters to visit its the facility where the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are subjected to several different tests to ensure strength and durability. As described in reports, the iPhones go through five different tests, including pressure point cycling, three-point bend tests, torsion testing, sit tests, and real-life testing scenarios where Apple employees use the devices.

According to Apple's head engineer Dan Riccio, the iPhone 6 was "the most tested product" Apple's ever created. The company reportedly conducted 15,000 tests on the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. Apple's head of marketing Phil Schiller said that bending was extremely rare, and that the company had "designed the product to be incredibly reliable throughout all your real world use."

Consumer reports went on to test the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus after reports of bending, and found that the two devices are not quite as bendable as the media has suggested. In a three-point flexural test, the iPhone 6 Plus withstood 90 pounds of force before bending, while the iPhone 6 withstood 70 pounds of force, which is more force than the two devices are likely to be subjected to during daily use.

According to Consumer Reports, though the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are not indestructible, they "should stand up to typical use."

Crashing Issues

Some 128GB iPhone 6 and 6 Plus units have reportedly been having crashing and boot loop issues, which could potentially be a hardware issue related to the NAND flash in the devices.

Reviews

Initial impressions on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are gathered below to highlight the general release reactions to the two new devices.

Apple's two new devices are essentially identical in design aside from the difference in screen size and the battery life/optical image stabilization in the iPhone 6 Plus. One notable improvement in both devices is the longer battery life afforded by the larger batteries. The iPhone 6 Plus is said to last up to 2 days, while the iPhone 6 may last a day and a half.

Brad Molen, Engadget:

Both iPhones are thinner than their predecessor. Whereas the 5s was 7.6mm thick, the 6 comes in at 6.9mm, with the 6 Plus measuring a hair thicker at 7.1mm. I don't always subscribe to the "thinner is better" mantra, but it's a benefit in this case because larger iPhones wouldn't feel as comfortable if they had the same shape as the 5s. If I had to choose based on in-hand feel alone, I'd pick the 6 over the Plus. I can still wrap my fingers around the 6 just as easily as I could with the 5s (and its curved sides don't cut as sharply as the edges on the 5s), but the large-screened 6 Plus is... well, it's manageable.

David Pierce/Nilay Patel (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus), The Verge:

Huge phones get to have huge batteries, and the iPhone 6 Plus is a huge phone with a huge battery: I consistently got about two days of battery life from the 6 Plus in regular daily use -- slightly more than the day and half we got from the iPhone 6, and basically the same as the Note 3.

Walt Mossberg/Lauren Goode (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus), Re/code:

In my tests, I found the iPhone 6's Wi-Fi speeds -- both downstream and upstream -- were roughly double those of the 5s, and about 25 percent faster than those of the Samsung Galaxy S5. But I saw little difference in LTE speeds, either on Verizon or AT&T.

Jim Dalrymple, The Loop:

The 6 Plus was awkward for me to use at first--it was kind of like using a smaller version of the iPad mini, but it was a phone. I had a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of using it on an ongoing basis, but the larger screen eventually won me over.

In More Detail

Design

Measuring in at 4.7 and 5.5-inches, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus dwarf previous iPhone models, but at the same time, the two phones are Apple's thinnest yet, measuring in at 6.9 and 7.1mm, respectively. For comparison's sake, the iPhone 5s was 7.6mm thick.

According to Apple, the thinner profile was made possible by the company's "thinnest display yet," which is made of slightly curved glass designed to flow seamlessly into the body of the device to highlight the "Retina HD" screen of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Both devices include prominent antenna bands on the back enclosure, along with a protruding rear lens. The volume buttons are pill-shaped, much like the buttons on the iPad Air, and the power button has been relocated to the right side of the device.

The iPhone 6 measures in at 5.44 inches long and 2.64 inches wide, and weighs 4.55 ounces. The iPhone 6 measures in at 6.22 inches long and 3.06 wide, weighing 6.07 ounces. In comparison, the iPhone 5s is 4.87 inches long, 2.31 inches wide, and it weighs 3.95 ounces.

Retina HD Display

iPhone 6 rumors largely suggested Apple would use a sapphire display cover in the device, but that turned out to be false. Instead, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus use "ion-strengthened" glass with an improved polarizer (for better outdoor viewing), a photo aligned IPS liquid crystal display, and a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating.

The iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch display with a "2x" resolution of 1334 x 740 (326 ppi) while the iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5-inch "3x" resolution of 1920 x 1080 (401 ppi). Both phones are said to offer higher contrast, better brightness, and improved white balance.

According to a test conducted by DisplayMate, the iPhone 6 Plus display is the "best smartphone LCD ever tested." The iPhone 6 display also received high marks.

Apple has implemented several "Reachability" features to improve the viewing experience on its larger devices, including Display Zoom and landscape view (iPhone 6 Plus only). Display Zoom lets users zoom in to get a closer view at their apps, while standard zoom displays more content on the screen.

Landscape view on the iPhone 6 Plus is designed to make the most of the 5.5-inch screen and to help users be more productive. When in landscape mode, the device will display apps like Mail, Calendar, and Stocks in a wider view similar to the way they're displayed on the iPad.

The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus take advantage of dual domain pixels, which improves viewing angles. AnandTech has given an in-depth overview of dual domain pixels, explaining that the technology alludes to the fact that the electrodes in the pixels are not all aligned. Instead, the pixels are "skewed when viewed from the perspective of the lines defined by the rectangular edges of the display," allowing them to compensate for uneven lighting.

Battery Life

The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus both offer improved battery life, but due to the larger size of iPhone 6 Plus, it is able to accommodate a larger battery. The iPhone 6 has an 1,810 mAh battery, while the iPhone 6 Plus has a battery capacity of 2,915 mAh.

Because it has a bigger battery, the iPhone 6 Plus has a longer battery life than the smaller iPhone 6. 3G talk time for the iPhone 6 Plus is at 24 hours, compared to just 14 hours in the iPhone 6, for example, while HD video playback is at 14 hours for the iPhone 6 Plus and 11 hours for the iPhone 6.

Reviews of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have suggested that the iPhone 6 can last up to a day and a half on average, while the iPhone 6 Plus can last up to two days on a single charge. A battery life test conducted by AnandTech showed the iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus beat out many competing Android devices, lasting longer than the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8. The iPhone 6 Plus had the second longest battery life of any device tested, coming in behind the Huawei Ascend Mate 2.

Despite shipping with a 1A/5W battery, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are capable of drawing up to 2.1A/12W of power, which means that iPhone users can likely obtain a faster charging time using an iPad adapter. According to early testing, charging with a 12W iPad adapter charges the iPhone 6 Plus in approximately two hours.

A8 Chip and M8 Motion Coprocessor

Both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus have a new 64-bit A8 processor built on an advanced 20-nanometer process by TSMC. Not only is the chip smaller than the A7 in the iPhone 5s, it's also able to deliver 25 percent faster CPU performance while being 50 percent more energy efficient.

The A8 takes full advantage of Metal, Apple's gaming technology that lets developers create console-style games on the iPhone. According to Apple, Metal is designed to let the GPU and CPU work together to provide detailed graphics and complex visual effects, which means gaming on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is going to be better than ever.

Alongside the A8, there's also a new M8 motion coprocessor, which is the successor to the M7 motion coprocessor introduced in the iPhone 5s. The M8 measures data from the accelerometer, compass, and gyroscope, along with a barometer, which is new to the iPhone 6.

With the addition of the barometer, the M8 motion coprocessor can measure elevation in addition to steps taken and distance traveled.

AnandTech has published an analysis of the A8 processor that points towards significant GPU enhancements and an enhanced Cyclone CPU at 1.4Ghz.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have topped CPU benchmarking tests (compared to competing Android devices and the iPhone 5s), but the iPhone 6 Plus lags slightly in graphics performance due to the device's larger screen.

Camera Improvements

The iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus continue to sport an 8-megapixel f/2.2 rear camera, but the addition of several new features will result in vastly improved picture quality. Continuing to offer improved camera capabilities has always been a priority for Apple, with the company even opting to include a protruding lens design to avoid making image quality sacrifices for the sake of the thin design of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

The first major new feature, "Focus Pixels," are designed to speed up autofocusing by providing the sensor with more information about an image, while improved auto image stabilization will compensate for slight amounts of motion blur and hand shakiness. Focus Pixels will vastly speed up autofocusing times and improve autofocusing in low light situations, as demonstrated in a review of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus cameras.

Both phones also have improved face detection capabilities and more control over exposure, and the Panorama feature now supports high-resolution panoramic photos of up to 43 megapixels.

Video options have been improved in the two devices, and it's now possible to capture 1080p HD video at 60fps. There's also a new 240fps slo-mo mode, and time-lapse video, which was introduced with iOS 8.

The iPhone 6 Plus has one slight advantage when it comes to the camera, however, as it takes advantage of the M8 motion coprocessor to offer optical image stabilization. Optical image stabilization better compensates for hand shake and slight movements in low light than standard auto image stabilization techniques. As a result, it's likely the iPhone 6 Plus will be able to deliver higher quality low-light photos than the iPhone 6.

Along with rear camera improvements, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus have improved front-facing FaceTime HD cameras with a new sensor and an f/2.2 aperture. With these improvements, Apple says the front-facing camera can capture 81 percent more light, resulting in much better low-light photos. There's also a new burst mode for the front-facing camera, which will let users take burst mode selfies for the first time.

In the DxOMark tests from reputable camera testers DxO Labs, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus both scored an 82, overtaking the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Sony Xperia Z2 as the best smartphone cameras in both the photo and video categories.

According to the testing, both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus performed similarly, with the site noting that both had "very good, generally reliable auto-exposure" in a range of lighting conditions and fast, accurate autofocus.

The optical image stabilization in the iPhone 6 Plus, which is the differentiating factor between the two devices, resulted in better noise performance and less ghosting on HDR images, but it did create a video stabilization artifact that ultimately led to a better score for the iPhone 6 in the video category.

Connectivity Improvements

Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus both offer faster LTE with support for LTE Advanced networks, reaching speeds of up to 150 Mbps, and they offer 20 LTE bands for better connectivity when traveling. A real world speed test has shown some impressive speed gains between the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 5s when LTE Advanced is available.

The devices also include support for Voice over LTE (VoLTE) which allows users to make higher-quality phone calls over LTE. VoLTE will also allow users on CDMA networks like Verizon to use voice and data simultaneously for the first time. VoLTE requires support from both Apple and carriers, and several carriers have pledged to roll out support for the service.

In addition to cellular improvements, the iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus are the first of Apple's iOS devices to offer support for 802.11ac Wi-Fi. 802.11ac Wi-Fi is able to offer connection speeds that are up to 3 times faster than existing 802.11n networks. The speed improvements possible going from the iPhone 5s to the iPhone 6 Plus can be seen in the video below.

Finally, the iPhone 6 supports calls over Wi-Fi, which can result in higher-quality calls, especially in situations where a cellular connection is low. Calling over Wi-Fi is another feature that requires carrier support, but again, some carriers, like T-Mobile, have already pledged support.

Memory

iPhone 6 and 6 Plus teardowns have revealed that both devices continue to offer the same 1GB of RAM found in the iPhone 5s.

Other Features

Like the iPhone 5s, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus continue to offer Touch ID, Apple's fingerprint-based security system. With iOS 8, which ships on the iPhone 6/6 Plus, Touch ID will become even more powerful, thanks to third-party Touch ID integration.

Touch ID is also an integral part of Apple's new Apple Pay mobile payments initiative, as is the Near Field Communication (NFC) antenna built into every iPhone 6. Apple Pay is designed to allow users to pay for purchases at thousands of retail stores with just a fingerprint.

Operating System

The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus ship with iOS 8, Apple's newest mobile operating system. iOS 8's main goal is to improve integration between Apple devices, both mobile and desktop, through the use of "Continuity."

This article "Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, debuted September 19" is originally posted at macrumors.com and was posted by guest blogger.

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Natural Yeast Infection Cures for Males and Females

Yeast infections are something that many women experience throughout their lifetime. This chronic infection that the women go through is something that they feel they are supposed to live with. The truth is that there are natural yeast infection cures that can put an end to chronic yeast infections. To fully understand how to completely get rid of a yeast infection you first must know what a yeast infection truly is. In this article you will learn what causes a yeast infection, the symptoms of the infection, and how to naturally cure the infection.

First of all, about 75% of all women have experienced a yeast infection at some point in their life. 

Of these 75%, nearly 45% will have a chronic infection of yeast. A yeast infection is also known as Candida. Candidiasis is caused by a group of microscopic fungi or yeast. There are more than 20 different species of Candida in the world today. Yeast infection can develop in any area that is moist, or can be moist. The most common type of yeast infection is vaginal, but it can also infect under the breast, lower abdomen, and beneath skin folds. Yeast infection is most common in women, but there is such as thing known as male yeast infections as well. The yeast infection can be passed from the vagina to the penile during sexual intercourse.

How do you know if you have a yeast infection? The symptoms that usually accompany a yeast infection include vaginal itch or soreness, vaginal discharge that is white and has an unpleasant odor, a burning feeling around the vaginal opening especially during urination, and pain or discomfort during sexual intercourse. For areas other than the vaginal area you might experience itchy spots on your skin. Almost anytime you have a yeast infection you will still notice a foul smell in your discharge. That is your body's way of getting rid of the infection. You can usually diagnose yeast infection from your own home, but you might want to head to your physician's office for an educated answer.

Many people, male and female, tend to turn to the drug store for creams or other medical remedies to fight yeast infection. The only problem with these medications is that they fight the symptoms of the problem and not the source. Natural yeast infection cures go straight to the cause and fix it there to prevent the yeast coming back with a vengeance.

Here are some of the easiest to find natural yeast infection cures that have been proven to work for men and women. Consuming plain yogurt, that means unsweetened, will help fight yeast infection. You want to make sure that the yogurt you are eating doesn't contain sugar. Yeast feeds off of sugar and would make the yeast infection worsen. You should eat yogurt before meals so that you are putting good bacteria into your body. You can also apply the yogurt directly to the infected area and wash off after a short period of time. Add garlic to your diet! The best form of food is to consume raw foods. Garlic will not only help with yeast infection, but it is a natural antibiotic that builds your immune system up big and strong. You can fight yeast infection while in the bath tub, as well. Add some apple cider vinegar to your bath water and let it get to work. It's not recommended to apply directly to your skin, unless you want to feel extreme burning.

More natural yeast infection cures can be found while searching the internet. Give some of them a try and you'll never want to use man-made medications again.

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Natural Treatment For Candida

What is Candida? Candida is more commonly known as yeast infection. Candida is caused by a group of microscopic fungi or yeast. More than 20 different species of Candida are around the world today. Approximately only 25% of the women in the world have never experienced or been infected by yeast infection. Nearly 45% of the women who have had a yeast infection will experience chronic Candida, or a reoccurring yeast infection. Yeast infections like to grow in areas that are moist and dark. This is why the most common place for yeast infection to thrive is the vaginal area. Other locations might include under the breast, behind knees, between toes, lower abdomen, and under folds of skin. In this article you will learn what treatment for Candida is available today.

What are some of the symptoms of Candida? Vaginal itch or soreness, discharge from the vaginal area that contains a foul smelling odor and that is a white color, and a burning sensation that becomes even more intense when urine comes in contact with it. Those are the symptoms of vaginal yeast infection. Yeast infection that is in other areas will usually itch and have an unpleasant odor. The area will have raised skin that looks like a rash. You can usually diagnose a yeast infection from the comfort of your own home, but if you are uncertain and don't want to take any risks you should contact your physician's office for their opinion.

Yeast infection can be treated by seeking medical attention from your physician. If you take this route you will be prescribed prescription medication to help cure the symptoms of yeast infection. This is usually an ointment that you can place directly on the infected area. If you find that you have vaginal yeast infection you might be required to insert the medication vaginally. One thing to keep in mind is that medication that you get from the doctor is only going to treat the symptoms and not the root cause of the problem. This is why many people are turning toward natural treatment for Candida. You can also find over-the-counter medications for a yeast infection, but these will also only treat the symptoms. Candida will more than likely come back with even more of a sting than the first round.

Natural treatment for Candida is easy to find and easy to use. Most of the treatments only require you to change or alter your diet. This also has benefits to make your immune system even stronger than it was before. The holistic treatments that we're going to go over can be used for both males and females that have been diagnosed with Candida. You should add plain yogurt and garlic to your diet. The plain yogurt has active cultures in it that will put "good" bacteria back into your body. These good bacteria fight off the bad. Garlic is a cure all for many illnesses as well as for Candida. You can eat garlic raw or use it mixed in with your meals. You won't regret adding garlic to your diet. You can also use a few household items to help fight yeast infection. Just add a little bit of apple cider vinegar to your bath and you can be fighting the infection while you're relaxing. Natural treatment for Candida is so simple to use. You won't regret giving these a try.

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How To Treat A Reoccuring Yeast Infection

Many women suffer from reoccurring yeast infection. This chronic infection is something that many women feel is just a part of life. The truth is that no person should ever have to deal with this nasty infection that causes pain and discomfort to numerous areas on the body. If you notice that you have recurring yeast infection you need to take a look at your diet. What you eat has a huge affect on how your body's immune system can handle things. After you have looked at your diet you need to know what type of treatments are available for you. Don't let yeast infection go untreated.

The first thing we're going to look at is your diet. What do you eat the most of? Are you a big junk food eater? Do you prefer to purchase pre-made meals? Do you frequent the local McDonalds on a regular basis? Take a look in your pantry at home. What do you see in there? You should be cooking with natural foods and eating raw fruits and vegetables as much as possible. Eating a lot of sugar will just increase your chances of recurrent yeast infection. Candida, or yeast infection, feeds off of sugar. Do a week long trial of cutting sugar out of your diet and see how your body feels. Also, not only the food that we eat has a huge affect on our bodies, but what we drink also has an affect. We need to make sure we are drinking the proper amount of water for our body weight. Many people feel the need to eat all day because their stomachs are empty. If you are drinking the right amount of water you shouldn't feel hungry except for meal times. Drinking water also helps purify, or detoxify, your body. Every person, every age should be drinking water.

What types of treatments are available? Can this be handled by using natural remedies or do you need to seek medical attention? The answer is both. If you have never had yeast infection before you should consult your family practitioner to make sure that you really do have a yeast infection. After you have determined that it is a yeast infection you can purchase over-the-counter medications such as a topical ointment or cream. There are many different brands of medical treatments at the local drug store. Typically medications only treat the symptoms instead of going straight to the root of the problem. This is why more people are taking natural routes instead of medicines.

To treat a reoccurring yeast infection you should add yogurt to your diet. Don't go for the yogurt filled with sugar and other additives. Find a plain yogurt that contains live cultures. The live cultures will help fight off the yeast and keep your body at a balanced pH-level. Using household items such as apple cider vinegar added to bath water will also help treat yeast infection. There are many natural remedies that are safe to try rather than going to the local drug store to purchase somewhat expensive medications. It is always best to try going the more natural route to help keep costs down on your medical bill, plus natural is better for your body. We were made to live off the land, not off of medications.

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Treating Baby Yeast Infection the Natural Way

Baby yeast infection usually appears in the mouth. However, just like adults, babies can also suffer from yeast infection in other parts of the body. Although oral yeast infection is the most common form of Candidiasis in newborn infants, there are other ways by which this condition can affect babies.

Thrush in infants

When babies have thrush or oral Candidiasis; white, curd-like deposits will appear on the tongue and the insides of the mouth. This could be accompanied by soreness and inflammation and can affect how babies are fed. Having oral thrush will likely have its toll on an infant's overall health.

Diaper rash

Diaper rash is different from diaper Candidiasis. Both can be utterly uncomfortable, but there are slight differences in the symptoms. A rash caused by yeast infection can appear as red bumps with heights surrounded by smaller red spots. Diaper yeast infection usually appears on the upper thighs, the pubic area and the lower part of the baby's abdomen.

Causes of infant Candidiasis

Babies can get yeast infection from infected mothers, particularly those who are being breastfed. Women who have the infection can pass it on to their babies, especially if they are breastfeeding. The symptoms can manifest on the mother's areola and around the nipples.

If an infant has to take antibiotics for some sort of condition, then his or her immune system can be affected. This could lead to the baby being prone to developing Candidiasis. Warm weather can also contribute to the development of the condition. Humidity can trap sweat on the baby's skin, especially in areas of the body that are wrapped in clothing. That is why the diaper area is where symptoms are usually found. For oral Candida infection, using unclean feeding bottles and pacifiers can lead to the development of yeast infection.

Natural treatment for infant yeast infection

For babies, treating the infection with a mild, natural cure is still best. Infants do not have the same tolerance as adults when it comes to medications; that is why a natural cure will be a better option. One way of treating yeast infection without causing more discomfort on the baby is tea tree oil. This can be swabbed on the areas where symptoms appear.

Apple cider vinegar can also be used on baby rash. When used to treat thrush, it is best to dilute it with water and swab the tongue and insides of the baby's mouth with it using cotton. Crushed garlic applied on affected areas is also an effective natural cure.

Baby yeast infection is quite common. However, choosing the right cure is very important because infants are more sensitive to medications than adults and treating the infection with a natural cure is probably the best option.

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Understanding SCSI, ATA, SAS and SATA

For years the parallel interface has been widely used in storage systems. The need for increased bandwidth and flexibility in storage systems made the SCSI and ATA standards an inefficient option. A parallel interface is a channel capable of transferring date in parallel mode — that is transmitting multiple bits simultaneously. Almost all personal computers come with at least one parallel interface. Common parallel interfaces include SCSI and ATA.

SCSI

(sku4ze) Short for small computer system interface, a parallel interface standard used by Apple Macintosh computers, PCs and many UNIX systems for attaching peripheral devices to computers. Nearly all Apple Macintosh computers, excluding only the earliest Macs and the recent iMac, come with a SCSI port for attaching devices such as disk drives and printers. SCSI interfaces provide for data transmission rates (up to 80 megabytes per second). In addition, you can attach multiple devices to a single SCSI port, so that SCSI is really an I/O bus rather than simply an interface.

ATA

(Also known as IDE) is a disk drive implementation that integrates the controller on the disk drive itself. ATA is used to connect hard disk drives, CD-ROM drives and similar peripherals and supports 8/16-bit interface that transfer up to 8.3MB/s for ATA-2 and up to 100MB/s (ATA-6).

So, what do parallel interfaces have to do with SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) and SATA (Serial ATA)? A lot, actually. It is the architectural limitations of the parallel interfaces that serial technologies like SAS and SATA address. In contrast to multiple parallel data stream, data is transmitted serially, that is in a single steam, by wrapping multiple bits into packets and it is able to move that single stream faster than parallel technology.

Serial Attached SCSI (SAS)

Abbreviated as SAS, Serial Attached SCSI, an evolution of parallel SCSI into a point-to-point serial peripheral interface in which controllers are linked directly to disk drives. SAS is a performance improvement over traditional SCSI because SAS enables multiple devices (up to 128) of different sizes and types to be connected simultaneously with thinner and longer cables; its full-duplex signal transmission supports 3.0Gb/s. In addition, SAS drives can be hot-plugged.

Serial ATA (SATA)

Often abbreviated as SATA, Serial ATA is an evolution of the Parallel ATA physical storage interface. Serial ATA is a serial link — a single cable with a minimum of four wires creates a point-to-point connection between devices. Transfer rates for Serial ATA begin at 150MB/s.

Starting with SATA, it extends the capabilities of ATA and offers transfer rates starting at 150MB/s and, after years of development, has moved to the mainstream of disk interfaces. The successor the SCSI interface is SAS at speeds of up to 3Gb/s. Additionally, it also addresses parallel interface issues such as drive addressability and limitations on the number of device per port connection.

SAS devices can communicate with both SATA and SCSI devices (the backplanes of SAS devices are identical to SATA devices). A key difference between SCSI and SAS devices is the addition in SAS devices of two data ports, each of which resides in a different SAS domain. This enables complete failover redundancy. If one path fails, there is still communication along a separate and independent path.

Cables & Connectors

Another big advantage of SATA over ATA is the cabling and connectors. The serial interface reduces the amount of wires needed to transmit data, making for much smaller cable size and making it easier to route and install SATA devices. The IDE cables used in parallel ATA systems are bulkier than Serial ATA cables and can only extend to 40cm long, while Serial ATA cables can extend up to one meter. In addition to the cabling, a new design of connectors is also used that reduces the amount of crosstalk between the wires, and the connector design also provides easier routing and better air flow.

The Benefits of SAS & SATA in Storage

Serial interfaces offer an improvement over older parallel SCSI (with a serial version) in storage applications and environments. These benefits include better performance, better scalability, and also better reliability as the parallel interfaces are at their limits of speed with reliable data transfers. SAS and SATA drives can also operate in the same environment while SCSI and ATA cannot. For example, using faster SAS drives for primary storage and offloading older data to cheaper SATA disks in the same subsystem, something that could not be achieved with SCSI and ATA.

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Comparison : PPTP vs L2TP/IPSec vs OpenVPN

	PPTP	L2TP/IPSec	OpenVPN
Background	A very basic VPN protocol based on PPP. The PPTP specification does not actually describe encryption or authentication features and relies on the PPP protocol being tunneled to implement security functionality.	An advanced protocol formally standardized in IETF RFC 3193 and now the recommended replacement for PPTP on Microsoft platforms where secure data encryption is required.	An advanced open source VPN solution backed by 'OpenVPN technologies' and which is now the de-facto standard in the open source networking space. Uses the proven SSL/TLS encryption protocol.
Data Encryption	The PPP payload is encrypted using Microsoft's Point-to-Point Encryption protocol (MPPE). MPPE implements the RSA RC4 encryption algorithm with a maximum of 128 bit session keys.	The L2TP payload is encrypted using the standardized IPSec protocol. RFC 4835 specifies either the 3DES or AES encryption algorithm for confidentiality. IVPN uses the AES algorithm with 256 bit keys. (AES-256 is the first publicly accessible and open cipher approved by the NSA for top secret information).	OpenVPN uses the OpenSSL library to provide encryption. OpenSSL supports a number of different cryptographic algorithms such as 3DES, AES, RC5, Blowfish. As with IPSec, IVPN implements the extremely secure AES algorithm with 256 bit keys.
Security weaknesses	The Microsoft implementation of PPTP has serious security vulnerabilities. MSCHAP-v2 is vulnerable to dictionary attack and the RC4 algorithm is subject to a bit-flipping attack. Microsoft strongly recommends upgrading to IPSec where confidentiality is a concern.	IPSec has no major vulnerabilities and is considered extremely secure when used with a secure encryption algorithm such as AES.	OpenVPN has no major vulnerabilities and is considered extremely secure when used with a secure encryption algorithm such as AES.
Speed	With RC4 and 128 bit keys, the encryption overhead is least of all three protocols making PPTP the fastest.	L2TP/IPSEC has a slightly higher overhead than its rivals due to double encapsulation. Comparable to OpenVPN under most conditions.	When used in its default UDP mode on a reliable network OpenVPN should perform better than L2TP/IPSec.
Ports	PPTP uses TCP port 1723 and GRE (Protocol 47). PPTP can be easily blocked by restricting the GRE protocol.	L2TP/IPSEC uses UDP 500 for the the initial key exchange, protocol 50 for the IPSEC encrypted data (ESP), UDP 1701 for the initial L2TP configuration and UDP 4500 for NAT traversal. L2TP/IPSec is easier to block than OpenVPN due to its reliance on fixed protocols and ports.	OpenVPN can be easily configured to run on any port using either UDP or TCP. To bypass restrictive firewalls, OpenVPN can be configured to use TCP on port 443.
Setup / Configuration	All versions of Windows and most other operating systems (including mobile) have native support for PPTP. PPTP only requires a username, password and server address making it incredibly simple to setup and configure.	All versions of Windows since 2000/XP and Mac OSX 10.3+ and most mobile operating systems have native support for L2TP/IPSec.	OpenVPN is not included in any operating system release and requires the installation of client software. The software installers are very user friendly and installation typically takes less than 5 minutes.
Stability / Compatibility	PPTP is not as realiable, nor does it recover as quickly as OpenVPN over unstable network connections. Minor compatibility issues with the GRE protocol and some routers.	L2TP/IPSec is more complex than OpenVPN and can be more difficult to configure to work reliably between devices behind NAT routers. However as long as both the server and client support NAT traversal, there should be few issues. In practice L2TP/IPSec has shown itself it be as reliable and stable as OpenVPN for IVPN customers.	Very stable and fast over wireless, cellular and other non reliable networks where packet loss and congestion is common. OpenVPN has a TCP mode for highly unreliable connections but this mode sacrifices some speed due to the ineffeciency of encapsulating TCP within TCP.
Client compatibility	Windows Mac OSX Linux Apple iOS Android DD-WRT	Windows Mac OSX Linux iOS Android	Windows Mac OSX Linux Android IOS DD-WRT (with the correct build)
Conclusion	Due to the major security flaws, there is no good reason to choose PPTP other than device compatibility. If you have a device on which neither L2TP/IPsec or OpenVPN is supported then it may be a reasonable choice. If quick setup and easy configuration are a concern then L2TP/IPsec should be considered.	L2TP/IPSec is an excellent choice but falls slightly short of OpenVPN's high performance and excellent stability. If you are using a mobile device running iOS (iPhone) or Android then it is the fastest to setup and configure as it is supported natively.	OpenVPN is the best choice for all platforms. It is extremely fast, secure and reliable. Additionally, the IVPN multihop network is only available when connecting via OpenVPN. The only minor downside is the requirement to install the software client but on most platforms this only takes a few minutes.

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