Talk Tech

iPhone style contact scrolling on Windows Mobile! Freeware

2008-06-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

iContact is a freeware for your PPC Windows Mobile that enables iPhone style scrolling on your phone. Check out the link for information and screenshots.

http://www.freewarepocketpc.net/ppc-download-icontact-v0-2.html

You tube Video!

UT3 Pirated 40 Million Times!

2008-05-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

Original Story from TG Daily: http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/37203/98/

Zagreb (Croatia) - My former colleague Igor “Iggy” Gajic got the chance to interview Cevat Yerly, co-founder and CEO of Crytek. During the interview, Yerly was keen on keeping the lid of future projects, but he did not refrain himself from stating his views about the current state of PC gaming industry.

Said Yerli, “We are suffering currently from the huge piracy that is encompassing Crysis. We seem to lead the charts in piracy by a large margin, a chart leading that is not desirable. I believe that’s the core problem of PCGaming, piracy, to the degree [that PC gamers who] pirate games inherently destroy the platform. Similar games on consoles sell factors of 4-5 more. It was a big lesson for us and I believe we won't have PC exclusives as we did with Crysis in future. We are going to support PC, but not exclusive anymore."

This statement confirms the attitude a lot of game developers discussed earlier this year at the 2008 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, CA. We spoke with Mark Rein, VP of Epic Games, and learned that the Unreal Tournament 3 servers received over 40 million attempts at illegitimate access using pirate keys. That number is huge, and the real magnitude comes when you calculate the retail price of $49.99 (59.99 for Collector's Edition).

If those 40 million players actually paid the full price, it would have been nearly $2 billion more in Epic’s pocket book. That is more than the quarterly sales results from Nvidia or AMD. To add another perspective, the government lost out as well, because no sales tax is earned on pirated copies.

When you take into account that Crytek saw similar levels of pirated copies, it is easy to see how big of a deal gaming piracy is. Between two games there were billions of dollars of lost sales. The natural instinct is of course to hit the platform(s) where they can actually earn money, which is looking less and less favorable for PC gaming.

The top 25 overlooked and underrated features in Leopard

2008-04-08T03:46:00.000-07:00

Editor’s Note: This story is excerpted from www.computerworld.com

Automator workflow Starting Points

Since Mac OS X 10.4 “Tiger” was first released, Automator has provided a simple mechanism for automating common tasks and building workflows that bridge multiple applications without the need for any knowledge of scripting or programming. Leopard makes Automator even easier to use.

New Starting Points allow users to indicate the type of data they want to use in a workflow (files and folders, music, images, or text) when Automator is launched or a new workflow is created. Starting Points make it easy for new users to determine the initial source for information (such as iTunes, iPhoto library, a document or iSight camera) as well as what Automator should ask for in terms of information selection when the workflow runs, greatly easing the use of Automator for novices.

Recording in Automator

Another new feature in Automator that can help users is the ability to record a series of user activities. This allows novice users to better understand how their activities translate to Automator actions, and it allows experienced users to add tasks that might not otherwise exist as Automator actions.

The technology is functionally similar to the recording feature in the AppleScript Script Editor, except it’s more broadly implemented because it relies on the Universal Access feature of Leopard to fully track user activities while recording.

iChat Theater

iChat gained a number of new features in Leopard; the best known is its ability to initiate screen-sharing sessions with audio chat. Less known is iChat Theater, which projects a file or iPhoto selection such as an album or event to another iChat user.

The effect is like watching a Keynote presentation or slide show, but watching it remotely via iChat. Instead of seeing a live video from your Mac’s iSight camera in the iChat window, the recipient sees your presentation in real time and can respond to you.

This can be great for sharing photos and movies on a personal level, but it can also be used on a professional level as a powerful remote communication and presentation tool.

Advanced sync options with .Mac

Apple’s .Mac service has always allowed users to synchronize certain information (such as Address Book contacts and iCal events) across multiple Macs. In Leopard, .Mac syncing has expanded to allow so much syncing that it almost feels like you’re always using the same Mac.

You can now sync any or all of the following across multiple Macs with a single check box in the .Mac System Preferences pane: Safari bookmarks, iCal calendars, Address Book contacts, Dashboard widgets (including their preferences and location on-screen), Dock items, Keychains (which can store passwords for everything from file servers to mail accounts to Web log-ins), Mail accounts, additional Mail preferences (rules, signatures and smart mailbox settings), Notes from Mail or Entourage, and even settings from all System Preferences panes. If you frequently use more than one Mac, this not only makes a great Leopard feature, but also a really great use of .Mac.

Address Book sharing and syncing with Exchange, Yahoo

Speaking of syncing, Address Book has gained some powerful sync options of its own. Hidden in the Preferences dialog for Address Book are options that allow you to now sync contacts with Yahoo Mail and with an Exchange server account — both of which are little known, yet powerful, if you use Yahoo Mail or connect to an Exchange server in your office.

Alex: Leopard’s new voice

Macs have had text-to-speech capabilities for more than a decade and a half. However, it has been more than 10 years since Apple introduced any new voices for the technology, and while some of the old higher-end voices aren’t bad, they aren’t always great.

Leopard includes a new voice, Alex, that can be used to read text and speak alerts. Open the Speech pane in System Preferences, and check out one of the most natural sounding computer voices available.

Finder sidebar in Open/Save dialogs

Open and Save dialog boxes in Leopard now sport the same sidebar as Finder windows. The iLife Media Browser is integrated into this sidebar, giving you instant access to the music, photos and movie clips stored in your iTunes, iPhoto and iMovie libraries, respectively, whenever such file types are appropriate.

This is one of those additions that everyone notices but pays little attention to. The power of this feature is that any folder you frequently access in the Finder—or even folders you rarely access but often store files in—can be accessed with one click. It acts like a group of aliases that are readily accessible whether you are working in the Finder or from any open or save operation. The result is consistency in your ability to locate important folders and files, no matter where you are interacting with the file system.

Saved searches in Finder sidebar

Another sidebar feature that has gotten some notice but is often undervalued is the ability to save Spotlight searches directly to the sidebar. Spotlight’s ability to create simple or complex searches and implement them very quickly opens this feature to all manner of uses.

For example, with one click at any time, you can do the following:

Have immediate access to your most recently edited files.
Be able to tell what files your kids or other users have opened or modified in the past day or week.
Find all the video files on your computer.Find all the documents that include a specific string of text, such as the name of current project.

Having these searches (or more importantly, their results) readily accessible is amazing when you begin to think about the hundreds of ways you can craft searches to find files or information about files on a daily basis.

Guest log-in

Say your sister and nephew are visiting for a week, and they both need to use your computer for things like checking e-mail, turning in homework remotely and playing the occasional Web-based game. You certainly don’t want them tromping all over your personal and professional files.

With Leopard’s new guest account enabled, anyone can log in, open applications, create files, print and log out. Because all the actions of guests are deleted when they log out, there are no users to delete and no clutter to clean up. It’s as if they were never there.

(This behavior differs from guest access in previous versions of Mac OS X, which allowed other users to connect from a remote computer over a home or office network to access shared folders, but required that a local user account be created for anyone who actually used your computer to run applications, access the Web and so on.)

Leopard’s guest account is also great if you have friends dropping by and want them to be able to check their e-mail or online banking, but don’t want to provide wholesale access your computer or files. It even works well in small offices when you have a freelancer or temporary staffer in for a few days. No need to create any user accounts to get work done.

Just enable the guest account for log-in from the Account pane in System Preferences. You can also use Parental Controls to determine just how much access to the computer guests are allowed.

File-sharing user account

Another new type of user account is called a file-sharing user account, and it’s almost the opposite of the guest account.

In previous Mac OS X releases, if you wanted to allow users to connect to your Mac from other computers over a network, you either had to support guest access (in which anyone could connect) or create specific user accounts for them. Those user accounts, however, allowed users not only to browse your shared folders over the network but also to log in and use your computer.

Leopard’s new file-sharing user account type lets you restrict access to shared files to specific people for whom you create user accounts, and it allows you to prevent those users from actually sitting down and using your computer. With a file-sharing account, friends and family members can access your computer’s shared files remotely, but they can’t log into your computer.

This makes sharing documents, music and other files easy but keeps full access to your computer limited to just you. You can even create file-sharing accounts quickly and easily on the fly while setting up file sharing in the Sharing pane in System Preferences.

Remote CD/DVD sharing

Right up there with file sharing is the new CD/DVD sharing feature. No doubt created with the MacBook Air (which lacks an optical drive) in mind, this feature allows you to share any inserted CD or DVD with a single check box.

Not only is this new in Leopard, but it doesn’t require you to explicitly share each disc as it is inserted. Just click the appropriate check box in the Sharing System Preferences pane, and CDs or DVDs will be automatically shared whenever they’re inserted.

Scrolling in background windows

Apple long ago made scrolling easier by supporting scroll wheels on multibutton mice (including the company’s multidirectional scrolling Mighty Mouse) as well as by moving two fingers in unison on the track pads of most Mac laptops. In previous releases, scrolling affected only the active window, but in Leopard, you can easily scroll through background windows as well.

Simply position the cursor near a background window’s scroll bar, and it will scroll—a great way to save a few clicks (especially if you don’t want to switch to that background application).

Tabs and window groups in Terminal

It’s hard to think that Apple could do much with Terminal, its utility for accessing the Mac OS X command line. But the company introduced two useful Terminal features in Leopard. The first is the tabbed Terminal windows. Like tabbed Web browsing, this lets users open multiple sessions from the command line without cluttering the screen with additional windows.

The second is window groups, which allow users who would rather work with multiple windows to save a collection of Terminal windows (complete with window styles and size, titles and positions) that can be automatically restored all at once when Terminal is launched.

Both features help to organize Terminal use and make the command line a more easily used component of Mac OS X.

Safe application relaunch

Applications crash. While Mac OS X is a very stable operating system that prevents a crashing application from taking down other apps or an entire Mac (as they could in the bygone era of Mac OS 9 and earlier), applications themselves can still occasionally crash and freeze.

Leopard’s safe-launch feature allows the operating system to know when an application has crashed or been forced to quit after freezing and to respond with the option to ignore the crash or relaunch. If the application repeatedly crashes, Leopard will offer to restart the application with a default preferences file—often the first step in troubleshooting application crashes—thus saving you some steps in dealing with crashes.

Selecting and copying PDF text in Preview

Adobe Acrobat or PDF files have for years been considered a great way to share data with people when you want to include formatting and graphics elements and ensure that all users can open a document and see it the way you intended. One problem has always been that users can’t easily select text from a PDF and paste it into a text file such as an e-mail, contact or Word document. Preview, Mac OS X’s native image and PDF viewer, now allows text selection in PDFs, making it not only possible but easy to copy and paste text from a PDF.

Editing PDFs in Preview

Beyond just copying and pasting text, Preview now offers light editing capabilities for PDF files. The ability to generate PDFs isn’t new; it has always been built into Mac OS X, first as a print preview feature and later as a complete printing alternative. The ability to modify an existing PDF, however, has largely remained the province of desktop publishing.

Leopard introduces full PDF editing capabilities (including adding comments) to Preview, making it a great entry-level PDF management tool.

Dictionary Wikipedia searches and grammar checking

Mac OS X’s systemwide dictionary has gotten a couple of subtle updates. It now offers the ability to look up phrases via Wikipedia as well as through its standard dictionary, thesaurus and Apple-related phrases dictionary. It also includes a grammar-checker in applications such as TextEdit that fully support the use of the dictionary.

Archiving mailboxes in Mail

Mail sports a number of new and well-known features such as Notes and To-Dos, RSS reader capabilities, and stationery for sending rich text messages. One lesser-known feature in Mail is the ability to archive a mailbox.

When you archive a mailbox (right- or control-click and select Archive Mailbox), its contents are saved to a pair of files that can then be stored for later use (allowing you to clear out Mail by removing the mailbox) or imported into Mail on another computer (allowing an easy way to transfer e-mail to a new machine).

Data detectors in Mail

Although most Leopard users have heard of Mail’s data detectors, they generally don’t get noticed that much, probably because they’re seen only when you mouse over relevant data such as dates (including words like “tomorrow” or “Monday”), names of contacts, addresses or phone numbers.

When you mouse over such an item, a small selection box appears with a downward-facing triangle icon. Clicking on that icon lets you create new iCal events (without opening iCal), view a date in iCal, add an address or phone number to a new or existing contact (again without opening Address Book), view a contact or even view a location using Google Maps — all from a single click and without any copying or pasting.

This may not be a totally hidden Leopard feature, but it’s one with a lot of hidden potential.

Attachments in iCal

Much like an e-mail message, you can now attach files—pictures, Keynote or PowerPoint presentations, Word documents or anything else—to events in iCal. This helps ensure that you have information about events at your disposal. It’s also great if you’re using Leopard Server’s iCal Server or sharing events with others by e-mailing the event or publishing your calendar — files are included as part of the event, making it easy to collaborate through iCal.

Signed applications

When an application is signed, it has a digital signature embedded as part of its file structure. This signature can be used by Leopard to verify that the application was created by a legitimate developer, in much the same way that Web browsers use digital certificates verified by an online certificate authority to ensure that online banking and e-commerce sites are secure and legitimate. The signature also indicates that the application hasn’t been tampered with. All Apple applications now include digital certificates, and Leopard can sign applications from other developers that lack a certificate.

So what does this mean for users? It means that Leopard can alert you if an application has been modified by a piece of malicious code without your knowledge. It also means that Leopard’s built-in firewall can block or allow access to the Internet based on an application’s signature, rather than just using the port number it communicates on. To use a broad example, you could allow Web traffic from Safari but not Firefox.

Digital signatures are also supported in Parental Controls in Leopard, so if you limit the applications that your children are allowed to use, even if they move or rename them, Leopard will recognize them based on their signature and deny access.

Tagged Internet-based apps

Leopard also tags downloaded applications. When you download an application from any Leopard-compliant Internet program, Leopard uses a portion of the file known as an extended attribute to tag the application as downloaded. Even if the application is downloaded in a .zip archive or a disk image file, the application remains tagged when it is decompressed.

When you first launch the downloaded program, Leopard warns you that you are opening a file from the Internet, provides details about where it’s from and asks if you want to run it. This gives inexperienced Internet users a measure of security, even if they have a Web browser (or other application) set to automatically open downloaded files.

Resizable partitions

One of the big under-the-hood features that was lacking in earlier versions of Mac OS X was the ability to create and resize partitions without reformatting a hard drive. Disk Utility now offers complete support for resizing partitions as well as adding and deleting partitions without reformatting, as long as the disk has a GUID Partition Table (the default option for Intel-based Macs).

Downloadable printer drivers

The ability to download printer drivers via software update is a great feature. You no longer need to be concerned if you decided to save space when you installed Leopard by skipping printer drivers.

When you attach a new (or even old) printer, Leopard will not only identify and configure it (which Tiger largely did without help if the driver was installed), but it will also ensure that you have the most up-to-date drivers for it.

Collage and Mosaic screensavers

Leopard harnesses the Core Animation libraries code that developers can use to imbue applications with all manner of animated elements to offer two stunning new screensaver options. Both work with iPhoto albums or folders of photos that you select.

The Collage screensaver builds a 3-D collage of photos piling on top of one another, while the Mosaic screensaver creates a photo mosaic image — the type we’ve all seen in poster shops where one iconic picture, such as a movie poster for the Star Wars trilogy, looks like a solid image from a distance, but when you get close you see it’s really made of hundred and hundreds of still shots from the movies.

It does this constantly, creating a new image of a photo in the album, using tiny versions of the other photos in the same album. Truly, this stunning effect is one that needs to be witnessed to be fully appreciated.

Xbox 360 + Microwave

2008-04-07T16:01:00.000-07:00

Xbox 360 Wiimote Clone?!

2008-04-07T15:55:00.000-07:00

From -http://www.developmag.com/news/29589/Microsoft-working-on-Wiimote-clone-says-report

MTV News says that Rare is working on Mii-like system of digital avatars as well

An anonymous development source claims to confirm with MTV a long-running point of industry rumour and speculation: that Microsoft plans to introduce its own Wiimote-styled controller

"Microsoft's response to Nintendo's Wii will appear before the end of the year," says the report, which adds that the Xbox 360 motion-sensing device has been in the works since last summer.

According to MTV's source, Microsoft's effort is similar to Nintendo's but boasts an analogue stick and microphone built in, and doesn't require a Nunchuck plug-in extra.

Meanwhile the report adds that UK-based Rare "has been tasked with creating a unified interface and look for the controller" but "has had trouble hitting its deadlines".

Microsoft is said to be looking to unite both the Wii's more accessible styles of play with its own more hardcore gamer-oriented, and is specifically saying that developers will best appreciate the fact that games for the Nintendo console can be ported to the 360.

Brand New High Resolution Fallout 3 Shots!!

2008-04-07T15:42:00.000-07:00

Here it is guys update on Fallout 3 from the people who brought us Oblivion! Its looking very promising and I hate to say it but it reminds me of the Fallout 2 universe, especially the gory death pic. Let me be the first to say Fallout 3 will be a big hit, I know I definitely will pre-order it!

Pictures from - http://www.pcgames.de/

Top 20 Games in 2008 and Beyond...

2008-04-07T14:15:00.000-07:00

20. The Bourne Conspiracy - PS3, Xbox 360

19. Sonic Unleashed - Xbox 360, PS3, Wii

18. Too Human - Xbox 360

17. Facebreaker - PS3, Xbox 360, Wii

16. Project Origin - PC, PS3, Xbox 360

15. Mercenaries 2 - PC, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360

14. Iron Man - PS3, Xbox 360

13. Resident Evil 5 - PS3, Xbox 360

12. Ninja Gaiden 2 - Xbox 360

11. Killzone 2 - PS3

10. Battlefield: Bad Company - Xbox 360, PS3

9. Haze - PS3

8. GRID - PC, PS3, Xbox 360

7. Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. - PS3, Xbox 360

6. Gears of War 2 - Xbox 360

5. Mario Kart Wii - Wii

4. Star Wars: Force Unleashed - Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS

3. Alone in the Dark - Xbox 360, PS3, Wii

2. Grand Theft Auto IV - Xbox 360, PS3

1. MGS4: Guns of the Patriots - PS3

Nintendo DS Homebrew - Top 5 Games

2008-04-06T14:42:00.001-07:00

5. Warcraft Tower Defence - Anyone who has ever played Starcraft or Warcraft III online knows how addicting tower defence games are! Here is a portable version on your DS! It plays very well, graphically of course not at all like the PC version but it works extremely well.

4. DS Doom, DS Quake, DS Quake II - The best ID games out there you can enjoy on your DS, everyone knows how these games play!

3. Lemmings DS - The ultimate classic that was simply made to be played with a stylus! Check it out...

2. ScummVM DS - Play all the Lucasarts originals on your DS,

Day of the tentacle in particular is my favourite. Simply amazing adventure games.

1. Pocket Physics - This is not entirely a game but rather an amazing physics mini application where you draw objects that can interact with another physically. Its quite awesome...

Description from website -

I really like the idea of the popular mini game Crayon Physics: You draw an object on the screen and it instantly becomes physical and interacts with other objects. The first thing that sprung to my mind when seeing it was "This would be awesome on the DS!" And Pocket Physics is what I came up with after two weeks. It isn't really a game, but more of a physical construction kit for your pocket. You can design scenes freely by drawing things with the stylus. Things can be solid, like ramps and floors, or dynamic, like balls or boxes. Like in The Incredible Machine, you can reset the scene, change it, and start the simulation again. It's even more fun if you have a DS Motion, which can be used to control gravity!

Mister Chief!, April Fools from Bungie

2008-04-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

From Neowin.net forums (user magik) check out Bungie's easter suprise!

http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=629181

Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV) Trailer Collection!!

2008-04-02T14:29:00.000-07:00

Here it is folks all the GTA 4 trailers on one page! Yes, I know I have just embedded the trailers from Gametrailers.com but simply put its the best site for games out there! Secondly, I know its just blog spam, but hey, they are all in one place at least no clicking on different pages... Enjoy.

Debut Trailer

Trailer 2

Move up, Ladies

Roman Bellic

The Steinway Beer Garden

Manny Escuela

Vlad Glebov

Whiz Wireless

Phil Bell Trailer

Dilettante Hybrid Trailer

Liberty City Slideshow

Packie Trailer

LCPD Trailer

Everyone's A Rat Trailer

Breathtaking New Crysis Shots - HD

2007-05-19T04:44:00.000-07:00

Starcraft 2 High Resolution Screenshots

2007-05-19T03:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some official Starcraft 2 super high resolution screenshots. They show off some of the amazing capabilities of the new game engine such as a mass amount of units on the screen at one time. Be prepared for EPIC battles! Click on images to view fullsize.

New Halo 3 Vids - Dual-Wielding, Valhalla, High Ground

2007-05-12T04:36:00.000-07:00

1. Dual-Wielding Death-Dealing Gameplay

This video just shows off some coool weapons and a full multiplayer level. Dual wielding weapons and showing some of the new weapons in the game.

2. Valhalla

Great video, finally showing some vehicle action.

3. High Ground Gameplay

Official Intro Video in Forza 2

2007-05-09T01:44:00.000-07:00

Cant wait for this game looks sweeet!

X-Play BioShock Preview

2007-05-08T14:36:00.000-07:00

YouTube Begins Paying Its Best Filmmakers

2007-05-04T12:50:00.000-07:00

The initial group includes those who have built and sustained a mass audience such as LisaNova, renetto, HappySlip, smosh, and valartdiary.

By Thomas Claburn
InformationWeek
May 4, 2007 03:00 PM

YouTube has decided to share the wealth by paying its most popular content contributors. That doesn't include unwilling partners like Viacom, which is litigating its way to pay day. Rather, it describes YouTube members like LisaNova, renetto, HappySlip, smosh, and valsartdiary.

Some 20 to 40 of these individuals have been selected by YouTube to participate in the same revenue sharing and promotional program as YouTube's corporate content partners. More are likely to follow. The primary criterion for admission into this group appears to be having built and sustained the sort of mass audience that appeals to advertisers.

"As we've progressed, we've seen a lot of the most popular members really advance the craft," said Jamie Byrne, head of product marketing at YouTube. "They're developing series that have persistent audiences. ...We've really seen an evolution of the type of content that the YouTube community is creating and we wanted to recognize and reward that by making them partners."

"Participating user-partners will be treated as other content partners and will have the ability to control the monetization of the videos they create," YouTube said on its blog on Thursday. "Once they've selected a video to be monetized, we'll place advertising adjacent to their content so participating user-partners can reap the rewards from their work."

For filmmakers creating "user-generated content" rather than "premium content" or "motion picture extravaganzas," the recognition that a good film is a good film regardless of its pedigree may make up for not being among the several dozen elevated to YouTube partner status.

As Byrne put it, "One of the things that we want to start to recognize is that these users are media entities in their own right."

YouTube comes late to the idea that content creators should be compensated. Some video sites like Metacafe follow a similar strategy and reward only their most popular filmmakers. Others like Revver take a more democratic approach, rewarding anyone sharing videos with 20% of the associated ad revenue and then dividing the remainder equally between itself and the content creator.

YouTube explained its motivation by saying, "We hope that this program inspires people to keep creating original videos, building audiences and engaging with the YouTube community." Indeed, if those creating the most compelling viral videos feel shortchanged on YouTube, there are plenty of less popular video sharing platforms waiting to catch the fallout.

Source InformationWeek

India Looks To Produce World's First $10 Laptop

2007-05-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

The efforts thus far have yielded designs for a laptop that would cost about $47; a $10 system remains the ultimate goal.

By Paul McDougall
InformationWeek
May 4, 2007 11:00 AM

One hundred dollars for a laptop? Highway robbery, according to policymakers in India.

The country that last year said no to MIT luminary Nicholas Negroponte's plan to introduce portable computers that would sell for a C-note is instead aiming for laptops that would cost $10. That's roughly the price of a ham sandwich in New York.

India's Ministry of Human Resource Development is spearheading the project, with help from Semiconductor Complex, a state-sponsored designer and manufacturer of integrated circuits. Officials from those organizations are presently weighing system designs submitted by an engineering student from India's Vellore Institute of Technology and a researcher from the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.

The Times of India on Friday reported that the efforts thus far have yielded designs for a laptop that would cost about $47, while a $10 system remains the ultimate goal.

Last year, Negroponte's One Laptop Per Child Organization submitted a proposal to the Indian government under which the group would have worked to produce laptops for Indian students starting at $100. Indian officials at the time criticized the proposal as insufficiently mature to be taken seriously and rejected it.

Still, other countries in emerging regions have signed on to participate in the OLPC program. Argentina, Brazil, Namibia, and Nigeria are among the countries that are on board.

The OLPC organization has produced a reference design for a $100 laptop that features an AMD Geode processor, a range of open-source software, and an attached hand crank for power generation. The group has said it's also considering other options for power generation, including a foot pedal.

Source InformationWeek

Joost Invites here!

2007-05-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

I have Joost invites if you want just comment with your email address.

What is Joost? Its internet TV with some cool channels. Click HERE for more info

Fallout 3 Black Isle Tech Demo

2007-05-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

This is what Fallout 3 was going to look like:

Linux Beryl/Compiz 3D Cube effects in Windows? Welcome Yod'm 3D

2007-04-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

Yet anOther Desktop Manager 3D
( Windows 2000/XP/Vista )
( DirectX 9 required )
( Freeware )

Yod'm 3D is a virtual desktop manager with the fashionable effect : the cube

It works well on older XP machines

Download Here

Homepage

2 Brand New Halo 3 Screenshots - HDR Enabled - Looks Amazing!

2007-04-28T16:57:00.000-07:00

Click for full resolution. Seriously who cant wait for this game? This is possibly a good indication of what Halo 3 might actually look like. Enjoy.

What the Xbox 360 should have looked like

2007-04-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

Zoozen Xbox 360 Ovo Case Prototype - Simply beatutiful. It looks like something Apple would create. Check out the video

More info

Talk Tech's Top 10 Coolest Gadgets of 2007

2007-04-28T05:31:00.000-07:00

Well its time for another compilation. Here are the coolest gadgets that have already been and will be released this year.

10. Nokia N95

The N95 is Nokia's first HSDPA (3.5G) device, but also has Wi-Fi, WCDMA, quad-band GSM, Bluetooth (including A2DP), IrDA and USB 2.0 connectivity (via mini USB connector). Other hardware features include a 5 megapixel camera, a built in GPS, TV-Out, 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio, a MicroSD memory card slot and 150MB of internal memory. Overall its a full fledged mobile device with eveything you need on the go, a sure hit.

Source

9. VAIO® TP Series Living Room PCVGX-TP1

Light up your living room with the power and panache of the remarkable VAIO® TP1 Living Room PC. Boasting an innovative design, this spherical, elegant PC delicately incorporates personal computing into your living space through a single HDMI™ cable. Easy to use and setup, the TP1 PC is packed with the latest hardware technology including an Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor, Windows Vista™ Home Premium operating system and a massive 300GB⁴ hard drive. Enjoy your favorite live and recorded TV and movies or surf the web from your couch with the immersive Windows® Media Center experience that lets you navigate your content on screen, all controlled by a matching keyboard and remote control.

Source

8. SANYO HD2 Digital Media Camera

In addition to being a high-definition video camera, the HD2 is also a 7 megapixel digital-camera. All videos and still images are stored on a SD or a SDHC Memory Card (sold separately) that helps account for the camera's compact size and minimal weight. In fact, with no tape to que up, the HD2 has a super fast start-up time that can have you recording in as little as 1.7 seconds. A 10x Optical Zoom Lens (38mm to 380mm on a 35mm camera) and a 10x digital-zoom keep you close up on the action. The HD2 features a SANYO high capacity rechargeable Lithium-ion battery is included for a long 60 minutes of recording time. The SANYO Xacti HD2 features a digital image stabilization that works across the full shooting range from wide-angle to telephoto. Using an original corrective algorithm developed by SANYO, the HD2 is able to distinguish between “trembling hands” and “camera work” such as panning and tilting.

Source

7. Mister Tipster Pro

This great gadget is basically a RSS viewer for the workspace. Basically you can do everything related to keeping up with news, blogs, RSS etc.

6. HP TouchSmart IQ770 PC

Stay in touch with technology and keep your family connected and organized with the HP TouchSmart IQ770 PC. Simply touch the screen to get instant access to family schedules, TV, music, movies, photos and information on your PC. It’s a perfect fit for the social hub of your home and is easy enough for the whole family to use. Personalize the HP TouchSmart PC to get quick access to your favorite applications. Manage your family’s schedule by updating calendar events and creating your choice of voice, written or typed messages. The fresh, space-saving all-in-one design will look great in any décor.

Source

5. Xbox 360 Elite

Introducing Xbox 360™ Elite, the premier Xbox 360 console package that includes a massive 120GB hard drive, a HDMI port and like all Xbox 360 consoles and a premium black finish. Xbox 360 Elite also includes a black wireless controller and black Xbox LIVE® headset. Xbox 360 Elite has enough space for a whole library of Xbox LIVE Arcade games as well as downloadable high-definition TV shows, movies, music, and more available from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

Source

4. Pioneer PRO-FHD1

One of the best HDTV avaliable right now. It also recieved Cnet's best HDTV Award. Behind the awe inspiring image of a PureVision plasma is the technology that creates a 1080p native resolution with more than 2 million individual pixels. The Elite PRO-FHD1 combines the higher pixel count of 1080 interlace with the smooth refresh of 720 progressive. Allowing for a more accurate picture when viewing fast-moving content such as action films or sports with the amazingly sharp, bright, accurate picture quality for which Pioneer is known.

3. Apple TV

Your computer is the center of your digital life. Your TV is the center of your entertainment life. But what if you want to watch movies, TV shows, movie trailers, podcasts, and photos from your computer on your TV? At $299, Apple TV brings iTunes to the big screen.

Source

2. Nintendo Wii

Wii (pronounced 'we') is Nintendo's new home video game console that represents a radical step into a new era of entertainment. For years, video games have been growing in popularity but also in complexity. With Wii, Nintendo changes the way you play by maximising the fun and minimising the fuss.

Source

1. Apple iPhone

Well this little gadget needs no introduction. From the moment it was announced it had become the most popular gadget to have.

iPhone combines three amazing products — a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, maps, and searching — into one small and lightweight handheld device. iPhone also introduces an entirely new user interface based on a large multi-touch display and pioneering new software, letting you control everything with just your fingers. So it ushers in an era of software power and sophistication never before seen in a mobile device, completely redefining what you can do on a mobile phone.

Source

Well there you have it. The top 10 must have (if you can afford it ofcourse :P) coolest gadgets of 2007. If you think we missed something, leave a comment. What would your top 10 be?

Intel Technology in the Future Video - Amazing

2007-04-28T05:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a really cool video from Intel showing what may be possible in the future with ultramobile technology. Some amazing concepts. iPhone like devices. Check it out.

Call of Duty 4 Trailer!

2007-04-28T04:15:00.000-07:00

Well do you think they are milking it? Many people believe so. But one thing is for sure, call of duty games are some of the best games out there in terms of intensity for the FPS. And here you have it the worlds first COD4 Trailer!

Blueray vs HD-DVD? Looks like Blueray is winning!

2007-04-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

Casino Royale and The Departed continue on HD movie tear

As part of what appears to be a continuing trend since the beginning of 2007, sales of Blu-ray Disc titles have once again been ahead of those of HD DVD for the month of March. Sony Pictures’ Casino Royale held on to the top spot again for the month, selling more than 59,000 units. In contrast, the top selling HD DVD was this year’s best picture winner, The Departed, with 16,000 units sold.

“We think retailers will start to dedicate more space to Blu-ray, rather than split it half and half,” Sony worldwide president David Bishop said to Video Business. “That will further send a signal to consumers that it is the dominant format.”

One of the reasons cited again for HD DVD’s lag in sales is due to the format’s lack of exclusive, blockbuster titles thus far. The HD DVD-only Children of Men released late March is expected to help bolster its format’s numbers, though the movie was released with several compatibility issues.

Universal remains undying in its support for HD DVD, though the studio’s VP marketing Ken Graffeo said that Blu-ray is likely to continue its sales lead until the fourth quarter, when HD DVD see the holiday releases of summer blockbusters. “Fourth quarter is really going to be a telling time,” he said.

Price could continue to be a deciding factor in swaying consumers towards HD DVD. The Toshiba HD-A2 retails for $399 and is currently cheaper than any Blu-ray player on the market. HD DVD will continue to hold the price advantage even after Sony releases its $599 BDP-S300 this summer.

Furthermore, sub-$300 players from Wal-Mart may be a big factor in penetrating the mainstream market, although it is still unclear which format the upcoming machines will support. “It comes down to bringing it to the general audience at a price that they’re willing to pay,” Graffeo said, underscoring the importance of the mass market.

The Blu-ray Association announced earlier this week that it had reached a one million units sold milestone in less than a year, while the HD DVD Group was proud to announce that it has sold over 100,000 standalone players in its first year of inception.

Source DailyTech

[NDS] Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings Videos!

2007-04-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

Epic Battle Gameplay

The Windward Isles Gameplay

Ifrit Boss Battle Gameplay

Game Intro

[UK Mobile] BBC announces 3G TV and radio trial

2007-04-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

Thursday, March 29 2007, 12:40 BST

By James Welsh, International Editor

The BBC has confirmed that it plans to trial carriage of TV and radio stations on the 3G phone networks operated by Orange, Vodafone and 3.

Subscribers to TV packages offered by the three mobile operators will be able to view BBC One, BBC Three and BBC News 24 and listen to Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 4, 6 Music, BBC7 and Asian Network. The trial will start "within the month" and will last for twelve months.

"By making a range of television channels and radio networks available to 3G mobile phone subscribers, we hope to test not only the effectiveness of 3G as a means of distribution, but also how audiences respond to the BBC's linear services on their mobiles," said Ashley Highfield, the BBC's director of future media and technology. "The findings, combined with quantitative and qualitative consumer research, will inform the BBC's future mobile strategy."

The BBC has also unveiled a new version of its website optimised for mobile devices that are capable of displaying XHTML pages.

"The BBC constantly aims to make its content available to as many people in as many ways as possible," said Richard Halton, controller of business strategy at the BBC. "The mobile platform is a great opportunity for us to reach existing users in a new way and connect better with people who are not currently big users of the BBC.

"The BBC believes that mobile content is an important part of the broadcasting landscape and is looking at ways in which mobile devices will shape services of the future for licence fee payers.

"To this end, the BBC will be undertaking extensive and unique research into consumer behaviour and experience throughout the 3G mobile syndication trial. To date we have done relatively little consumer research in this area, and it will provide us with a detailed insight into consumer behaviour."

From digitalspy.co.uk

Pocket Live TV for Windows Mobile Pocket PC released

2007-04-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

New software lets you watch 100 live TV channels on your phone Makayama introduces Pocket Live TV 1.0

Software company Makayama announces the availability of ‘Pocket Live TV’. This innovative software lets you watch 100 TV channels, from 10 countries on Windows Mobile devices. The software provides a two-touch interface to streaming television on the internet. Pick a country, pick a channel and start watching.

With Pocket Live TV, your phone becomes a portable TV. It lets you watch your favorite channels right in the palm of your hand. Get live TV from the U.S., U.K. Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Netherlands and other countries. So whatever you would've watched on the sofa, you can watch elsewhere instead. In the room next door, down the pub, or on the beach a thousand miles away. Take your favourite news programs, talkshow, sport events or music stations with you on your portable device.

Includes top news channels, such as CNN, BBC, Sky News, Deutsche Welle and NBC. Music channels, such as MTV, Ministry of Sound and 3for12. Sports channels such the Baseball Channel, Eurosport and Sportbox. Get the latest weather forecast from the Weather Channel. And tens of general news and entertainment channels.

The channels are all broadcast over-the-internet, and the application provides easy to use access to that content. Any Pocket Pc (phone) with WiFi, UMTS, WCDMA, EVDO, EDGE or other wideband connection will work. A smartphone version will be available in May. A free demo can be downloaded, so that customers may check which channels are available.

Makayama’s CEO Vincent Verweij: “No other software supports this many channels, from this many countries, in one package. We also designed the most intuïtive two click interface that you can wish for mobile tv viewing. Go to a Starbucks or other free WiFi hotspot, and you can watch unlimited hours of free TV in the best possible quality . With other solutions, you need to buy a subscription and data plan and the costs are up to 120 U.S. dollars per year. With our product, you get more for less”

The introduction price is USD 19.95 (EUR 17.95) ex. local tax.

The free tryout version allows users to watch all channels, but a limited time only. Learn more here: http://www.makayama.com/pocketlivetv.html.

Requirements: Pocket PC with WiFi or 3G connectivity.

From msmobiles.com

Blizzard announcing a game May 19th - Starcraft 2?

2007-04-27T17:55:00.001-07:00

It took a good day of calls and emails, but Blizzard just got back to us about the rumor floating around that Starcraft 2 will be announced next month during their World Wide Invitation in Seoul, South Korea.

According to a Korean website, StarCraft 2 is being developed in 3D with a new race and lots of changes for existing units. The site went on to say that additional details would be revealed during Blizzard's WWI on May 19th in Seoul.

When reached for comment today this was Blizzard's official response:

We do intend to announce a new product at the Worldwide Invitational next month in Korea, and we appreciate the enthusiasm and interest in getting an advance look at what that will be, but players will have to wait until May 19th to find out more. Also, we have a very strong connection with the characters and settings of StarCraft, and we do plan to revisit that universe at some point in the future, but we don't have anything new to announce in that regard at present.

So that's a yes on a StarCraft 2, eventually, and a yes to a product announcement next month. The only question now is are they one in the same. -Brian Crecente, from Kotaku

Starcraft 3D - Warcraft 3 Mod!

2007-04-26T14:36:00.000-07:00

Cant Wait for Starcraft 2? Well check out this video showcasing Project Revolution's WarCraft3 : Frozen Throne Mod, that will turn StarCraft:BroodWar into 3D.

For screenshots, and more information check out their Homepage.

Medal Of Honor Airbourne Brand New Trailer!

2007-04-26T14:34:00.000-07:00

This game is looking sweet!

Funny Counterstrike 300 Parody, must see!

2007-04-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

God of War PSP - Chains of Olympus

2007-04-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

Liked the trialer? Got a PSP? Order a free demo fo the game in UMD format for the PSP from Here!

Neowin Autopatcher

2007-04-25T04:37:00.000-07:00

This is a really cool program made by Neowin.net members.

How often do you install Windows?Crashes, viruses, or even fixing other peoples' computers... Most people install their operating system regularly, whether they want to or not. After a while, you will get sick of going to Windows Update and continuously downloading patch after patch, update after update. Well, we have just the thing.

AutoPatcher is a comprehensive collection of patches, addons and registry tweaks that give you peace of mind in the knowledge that your Windows system is up to date, even before you connect it to the Internet. It's designed to quickly patch a system with the most current updates and tweaks available, and requires no user interaction once you have selected what to install.

Autopatcher 2000/XP

AutoPatcher Vista April 2007

Halo 2 on Vista Gameplay Video!

2007-04-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

This is what Vista was really made for!

Halo 3 Zanzibar Leaked Video, Best Quality!

2007-04-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

Top 10 iPod Freeware for Windows

2007-04-24T04:36:00.000-07:00

Check it out, a cool list of the top 10 best freeware avaliable for the iPod.

10. Anapod Explorer (free version) allows you to view your iPod and copy files to it as a device in Windows Explorer. The full version allows you to transfer files from your iPod to a PC. Anapod Explorer requires a PC-formatted iPod and Windows XP, 2000, ME or 98SE.

9. iPod eBook Creator This utility/PHP script loads large text file and splits it into iPod notes. It is easy to read your book in plain text format on your iPod via Notes functionality. All iPod notes will be automatically linked, so you can move from one to another with absolute ease. It's as simple as turning pages of the book.

8. EphPod is a full-featured, easy-to-use Windows application that connects with Apple's iPod. With a FireWire card and EphPod on a PC, it takes under 30 minutes to transfer 1,000 songs to an iPod. In addition, EphPod supports standard WinAmp (.M3U) playlists, includes powerful playlist creation features, and will synchronize an entire music collection with one click. It imports Microsoft Outlook contacts, in addition to allowing users to create and edit their own contacts. EphPod can also download the latest news, weather, e-books, and movie listings to an iPod.

7. euPOD PRO is 100% freeware, dosent install on your system and has these features. (works with all ipods, new, old and mini-ipod's)

* Volumeboost (go way over EURO/US volume with this feature)
* mp3gain as plugin to set all music to same level
* Alternative Battery Meter (display as numbers)
* Network feature - Browse and download content from a friends ipod over internet or local lan
* Encryption feature - Do you use your ipod as hardisc? Use the encryption feature with BLOWFISH encryption to compress/encrypt your files. Easy.

euPOD was the first PC volumeboost program for the ipods released in 2003.
euPOD is now the first PC ipod software providing ENCRYPTION for FREE.
euPOD is also first PC ipod software that let you download content from a friends ipod thru LAN or Internet

6. GoogleGet is a small program designed to download the latest news and weather information from news.google.com (or a local variation) and weatherroom.com in the quickest and simplest way possible. After a one off configuration you simply run the program and it will instantly connect to Google, download the latest headlines in the categories you specified, format them appropriately and transfer them to your iPod

5. iAppoint is a tool that simply copies all your appoints in Outlook to one single file. This file 'vCalandar.ics' can be copied to your iPod or macintosh for import into iCal.

4. iDirectionz allows you to store simple driving directions directly on your iPod.

3. Videora iPod Converter is a free video conversion application developed by the creators of Videora. It allows you to convert your regular PC video files (avi, mpeg, etc) into the proper video format that your iPod understands.

2. iPOD Video Converter For Free - You can convert all your videos to Ipod video format directly. Can process FLV (youtube video format), divx, xvid, mpg, mp4, dvd, vob, avi, wmv ,asf and so more format.

You will be able to download your favorite videos from Youtube and convert it to Ipod video format.

Simple and Free solution to convert to Ipod video format all your videos !

1. 3GP Converter - Just drag and drop your video files. Converts most video files to 3GP/MP4 format for handheld devices such as the Sony PSP, Apple iPod. Japanese tool but english language settings included.

Heres a site with Ipod 640x480 3gp converter version

A Collection of Windows Mobile 6 Videos

2007-04-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

Heres a collection of the many videos out there of the new mobile OS from Microsoft.

Windows Mobile 6 Demo

Windows Mobile 6 Pro Video 1st Look

Windows Mobile 6 Preview

CrunchGear.com - Windows Mobile 6 in a Non-Nutshell

Windows Mobile 6.0 Video - 1/4

Windows Mobile 6.0 Video - 2/4

Windows Mobile 6.0 Video - 3/4

Windows Mobile 6.0 Video - 4/4

The 46 Best Freeware Utilities

2007-04-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

This site is great, it gives you the best freeware programs out there and takes the best/most popular ones and lists them with download links!

Highly recommended to bookmark.

Link

Official: Windows Mobile 6 Upgrades for HTC Devices

2007-04-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

Windows Mobile 6: upgrade strategy statement

Microsoft recently unveiled Windows Mobile 6, which offers improved usability and more PC-like functionality than previously available. Enhancements include the ability to view emails in rich HTML format, and to manage emails quickly and easily through new shortcuts and new calendar views.

The HTC S710 is one of the first Windows Mobile 6 devices to ship, and will be followed by a range of products based on the new operating system in the coming months.

HTC is also offering WM6 upgrades for the most popular devices in its current range. This includes recently launched “messaging” products, which will enjoy the greatest benefits of Windows Mobile 6, such as the HTC Advantage, the HTC TyTN, the HTC S620, and the HTC P4350. The upgrade will also be available for the award-winning HTC P3300, plus some of our operator-branded devices. The upgrades will be rolled out from June, in line with our operator partners’ strategies.

You’ll be able to find the latest releases as they’re made available at: http://downloads.europe.htc.com

Additional Qs for reactive use only: - Why have these devices been chosen?

We have chosen devices with a particular focus on “messaging”, where users will enjoy the greatest benefits of Windows Mobile 6 (the HTC Advantage, the HTC TyTN, the HTC S620, and the HTC P4350). The upgrade will also be available for the award-winning HTC P3300.

- Will other devices be added?

Potentially. We’re in constant discussions with our operator partners, and if they’re seeing significant demand from their customers for a specific device then we will always consider it.

- When will the upgrade be available?

The upgrades will be rolled out from April.

- I’ve heard that [operator] is not offering the upgrade. Why is that? Can their customers get the upgrade from HTC direct?

It’s really up to the operators to decide how, or indeed whether, to offer the upgrade, so you’d need to speak to them. HTC is only directly offering upgrades for its own brand devices.

- Will consumers have to pay upgrade license fees?

No – the usual licence upgrade fees are being waived.

- How much of a difference will users notice with the new operating system?

Windows Mobile 6 delivers the ability to view e-mails in their original rich HTML format with live links to Web and SharePoint sites, which means text and images are displayed as they would be on a PC, and are available from a corporate e-mail server such as Exchange Server 2007, from Web-based accounts such as Windows Live™ Hotmail or from a myriad of other popular service providers. Windows Mobile 6 also includes Windows Live for Windows Mobile, which provides customers with a rich set of Windows Live services. For example, now through Windows Live Messenger, people can chat with more than one person at one time, express themselves through animated figures, quickly send a file or image, or record and send voice notes.

The newest version of the platform offers the most genuine Microsoft Office system experience in the mobile versions of Office Outlook, Office Word, Office Excel and Office PowerPoint by bringing capabilities once available only on the PC versions of these products to the small screen. This allows users to neatly view, navigate and edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets in their original formatting, without affecting tables, images or text, and to view PowerPoint presentations on their device.

All Windows Mobile 6 powered devices include Direct Push Technology for up-to-date e-mail delivery and automatic synchronization of Outlook calendars, tasks and contacts through Microsoft Exchange Server. Windows Mobile 6 also offers a set of important device security and management features that include the capability to remotely wipe all data from a device should it be lost or stolen, helping ensure that confidential information remains that way.

Source MSMobiles

Nintendo DS: Pokemon Diamond & Pearl Review

2007-04-23T14:59:00.000-07:00

Check it out, gametrailers review one of the most awaited games for the nintendo DS.

Thompson Calls for FBI Investigation of Kotaku

2007-04-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

Apparently we've unhinged Jack.

After Kotaku dissected Jack Thompson's latest appearance on national television trying to connect the tragedy at Virginia Tech with video games, the attorney started emailing us... again.

First Jack tried to tie us to allegations that a 14-year-old made a threat against the University of California Berkley campus by emailing one of the sergeants of the campus police. After speaking with the sergeant actually handling the investigation (not the one Jack emailed) I was told that there was nothing to worry about.

Next Jack asked us to remove our analysis of his misstatements on national television and when we politely declined he faxed the FBI in Colorado:

Dear FBI:

This web site at the below url is targeting me:

http://kotaku.com/gaming/virginia-tech/breaking-idiot-thompson-blames-va-shooting-on-games-252702.php

I ask that something be done by the FBI to stop this or prosecute it:

Kyle81 says: Actually the VT shootings are now the biggest mass shooting in US history with 31 dead, not just school shooting. Jack should be shot for taking the opportunity to leech off a tragedy to push his own agenda 04/16/07 03:25 PM

Regards, Jack Thompson

I quickly got on the phone with my friends at the agency (they were among the agencies I covered for five years as a police reporter in Denver) and found out that they hadn't yet processed the fax. I was also told that it was unlikely they would handle such an investigation, if one was even needed, but that the local police might look into it.

Finally, I asked about the fed's policy on pursuing charges for filing a false report... but I'll get to that later. Brian Crecente

News from Kotaku

Freeware: Switcher! a Vista Expose Clone

2007-04-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

Check it out this is a cool program which basically copies OSX expose effect for Windows Vista. Note: You need aero enabled Vista to run this.

Download Here

Mac: Shiira 2 Released!

2007-04-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

Shiira is a web browser based on Web Kit and written in Cocoa. The goal of the Shiira Project is to create a browser that is better and more useful than Safari. All source code used in this software is publicly available.

Its a very good browser with some amazing features. Screenshots and Videos page

Download Here

Ninja Gaiden Sigma Trailer

2007-04-22T07:26:00.000-07:00

This is a remake of Ninja Gaiden Black for the PS3 check out the clip:

The Ultimate Collection of Halo 3 Videos; Trailers, Gameplay, Misc!

2007-04-22T06:55:00.000-07:00

Scroll down for gameplay videos!

Halo 3 E3 Trailer

Halo 3 Trailer

Making of Halo 3

Halo 3 Multiplayer Footage "Is Quisnam Protero Damno!"

Halo 3 "Et Tu, Brute?" ViDoc

Halo 3 Gameplay Evolution

A compilation of leaked HALO 3 videos

Halo 3 Alpha Version Gameplay - Enya edition

Windows Live Spaces new features!

2007-04-22T06:41:00.000-07:00

New in Spaces:

Communication
There are brand new ways to communicate with your friends, as well as with new people that you’d like to meet.

Your new Spaces home page
Now when you log in, you’ll see a new page dedicated to keeping you up-to-date on changes to your space and what’s new with your Windows Live Messenger contacts. In one glance you’ll see who has updated their space and who has added comments to your space. Roll over their picture to see who’s updated their photos, who’s posted a blog entry, and who’s added new lists.

Messaging
Keep in touch with your Spaces friends and meet other people on Spaces by sending them messages. Just put your cursor over their profile picture and you’ll see a “Send a message” link. You can also use the link in the Visitor tools module on a person’s space.

Guestbook
Add the guestbook module and people visiting your space can leave comments with rich formatting, including images and video.

Customization
There are many new customization options for Spaces, so you can better control how your space looks.

Custom background image
Now you can upload whatever picture you want from your computer and use it as the background of your space. Upload your image in the Customize menu under the Advanced tab.

Additional colors and themes
There are now more themes to choose from and an easy-to-use color picker. You can also change the fonts!

Gadgets and Modules
With the changes we’ve made to gadgets and modules, now you can customize them to create the layout and design you want for your space.

Size and style
Most gadgets and modules can span the full width of a column, and you can now remove their borders or change their titles to whatever you want by clicking on the arrow in the right hand corner of the gadget or module when you are in Edit mode.

Other cool stuff
You can have multiple modules at the top or bottom of your space that span all of the columns – perfect for your space title and tagline. You can also have more than one version of the same gadget on your space. And if you’re on someone else’s space and see a module you like, you can add it to your space by clicking the “+” sign in the upper-right corner of the module.

Photos
With over 18 million photos uploaded by Spaces users every day, we know that improving the experience of managing photos is important to you, so we added a few new features.

Managing your photos
There’s a brand new page for viewing and editing albums on your space.

Viewing photos
There’s a new layout for the individual photo pages so it’s faster and easier to view your photos and see all of your comments at a glance.

Mobile
There’s been a dramatic increase in Spaces mobile usage over the past few months, and we wanted to provide great mobile interaction with Spaces. Here’s what’s new:

* See at a glance the recent updates and comments on your space
* Add, delete, view, and browse your friends
* View profile information

Interested in learning more about mobile features for Spaces? Read this Space Craft blog entry

Lists
Lists are now easier to use – and they look even better.

Music lists
Now you can show specific music lists on your spaces home page as well as see multiple results when searching for music on Amazon to create your list.

Book lists
Same as with music! Search for the book and add the information and picture from Amazon.com to your list.

Looks better in narrow view
We’ve make some improvements to make your lists look better when in narrow columns on your space.

APIs and Feeds
We wanted to give you the ability to access your Spaces information from a variety of locations and services, so we added new RSS feeds and opened up our APIs to allow you more freedom. Go crazy with your Spaces data! Visit: http://dev.live.com/spaces over the next few days for more information. Note: Only spaces with permissions set to “public” can use RSS feeds and APIs.

Profile Updates
There are some new, cool additions to profiles.

Enhanced contact updates preview
When you see a profile picture on Spaces, just put your cursor over the picture and you can see a lot more information about the person than ever before.

Check it out HERE

Foobar2000 0.9.4.3 Released

2007-04-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

Download Here

Here are some cools sites which show you how to customize foobar and make it look super sexy.

Luna Element
Neowin
Lowyat

ONe f the coolest skins I have seen for foobar. Find Here

Cool Left 4 Dead Video from 1UP show

2007-04-22T06:26:00.000-07:00

This is a must see video showcasing some of the ideas present in the game which looks pretty impressive. Zombies, good. Guns, goood. Coop zombie killing with characters armed to the teeth, goooood.

PS3:UK - Free Casino Royale Blu Ray

2007-04-22T06:21:00.000-07:00

Just caught this on Neowin.net Forums:

Order a PS3 in the Uk and recieve the latest Bond movie 1st 500,000 customers who register the PS3 for online play! Not bad Sony. If only the price of the PS3 was a little less pocket burning.

Check out the discussion

Square Enix Confirms Final Fantasy XIII Is Not Exclusive To PS3

2007-04-20T03:45:00.000-07:00

PS2 Center Reports:

In news that is sure to rock the gaming world it has been confirmed that Final Fantasy XIII, the blockbuster RPG highly anticipated by millions of fans of the series, will not be an exclusive game for the PlayStation 3 console.

The Final Fantasy XIII project as of right now consists of two games for the PlayStation 3 as well as a mobile game. Motomu Toriyama of Square Enix has come out and made the confirmation that other consoles will be receiving Final Fantasy XIII on top of the PlayStation 3.

This is pretty big news and could lead to speculation as to which Final Fantasy XIII games are going where. The obvious rumors are going to be that FFXIII is heading to the Xbox 360 as well as the PlayStation 3.

This quote though could also mean that the series could be heading to the Nintendo DS handheld and or the Nintendo WII as well since Square Enix has been very impressed and pleased with the progression and installed user base of the Wii, with the DS already receiving the Final Fantasy treatment a few times.

Let the rumors begin. Either way though the fact that Final Fantasy XIII will not be a PS3-exclusive has to make any Sony fan cringe in their gaming chairs.

Amazing animation - A Taste of Death

2007-04-16T00:39:00.000-07:00

Free iPod Video Converter FLV, Divx, Xvid etc

2007-04-16T00:16:00.000-07:00

Check it out convert all your youtube clips straight to ipod with this free software! converts FLV (youtube), divx, xvid, mpg, mp4, dvd, vob, avi, wmv ,asf and more

Download Here

Free Flash Lite Games for your Mobile

2007-04-15T23:33:00.000-07:00

Hey guys here are a good selection of free Flash Lite Mobile games, they work on all phones with Flash Lite particularly Nokia Series 60 phones and Windows Mobile 5 (wm5) and the new Windows Mobile 6 (wm6). Have fun!

Dawn of the Fly

Whack Attack

Soko Flash

Go Sushi

Tic Tac Toe

Tetris

Corn Rush

Road Rider

Bubble Shooting

Casino Blackjack

New Manhunt 2 Trailer

2007-04-14T11:00:00.000-07:00

Check it out

Mindblowing Crysis (Cryengine2) Video!

2007-04-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

This amazing video showcases some of the technology employed in the new Crysis game. IT shows some amazing effects the engine can achieve. Now if only this game didnt cost a new PC its absolutely awesome! Check it out video at the bottom.

CryENGINE 2
Real time editing, bump mapping, static lights, network system, integrated physics system, shaders, shadows and a dynamic music system are just some of the state of-the-art features the CryENGINE™ 2 offers.

The CryENGINE™ 2 comes complete with all of its internal tools and also includes the CryENGINE 2 Sandbox world editing system. Licensees receive full source code and documentation for the engine and tools. Support is provided directly from the R & D Team that continuously develops the engine and can arrange teaching workshops for your team to increase the learning process.

The engine supports all video and hardware currently on the market. New hardware support is constantly added as it becomes available.

CryENGINE Sandbox: Is a real-time game editor offering "What you see is what you PLAY" feedback.

Renderer: integrates indoor and outdoor technology seamlessly. Offers rendering support for DirectX 8/9/10, Xbox360, PS3

Physics System: supports vehicles, rigid bodies, liquid, rag doll, cloth and soft body effects. The system is integrated with the game and tools.

Animation System: Playback and blending between motion data (captured or key framed) combined with inverse kinematics (using biomechanical hints) and physical simulations. Special attention was applied to realistic human animation (e.g. adapting to uneven terrain, eye tracking, facial animation, leaning when running around corners, natural motion transitions).

AI System: Enables team based AI and AI behaviors defined by scripts. Ability to create custom enemies and behaviors without touching the C++ code.

Data-driven Sound System: Complex sounds can be easily created and offer innovative use and impression in studio quality in any available surround configuration. Multi-platform compatibility is guaranteed by FMOD’s sound library.

Interactive Dynamic Music System: Improved playback of music tracks by an arbitrarily logic that can react on any game events and support the player to experience a movie-like sound track.

Environmental Audio: Achieve a dense sound impression by accurately reproduce sounds from nature with seamless blending between environments and their effects from interior/exterior locations.

Network Client and Server System: Manages all network connections for the multiplayer mode. It is a low-latency network system based on client/server architecture. The module was completely rewritten to accomplish the demands of next-generation multiplayer games.

Shaders: A script system used to combine textures in different ways to produce visual effects. Supports real time per-pixel lighting, bumpy reflections, refractions, volumetric glow effects, animated textures, transparent computer displays, windows, bullet holes, and shinny surfaces.

Terrain: Uses an advanced heightmap system and polygon reduction to create massive, realistic environments. The view distance can be up to 2km when converted from game units.

Voxel Object: Allows creating geometry a heightmap system wouldn’t support to create cliffs, caves, canyons and alien shapes. Voxel editing is as easy as heightmap editing and fast in rendering.

Lighting and Shadows: A combination of precalculated properties with high quality real time shadows to produce a dynamic environment. Includes high-resolution, correct perspective, and volumetric smooth-shadow implementations for dramatic and realistic indoor shadowing. Supports advanced particles technology and any kind of volumetric lighting effects on particles.

Fog: Includes volumetric, layer and view distance fogging even with non homogeneous media to enhance atmosphere and tension.

Tools Integration: Objects and buildings created using 3ds max™ or Maya® are integrated within the game and editor.

Resource Compiler: Assets become compiled in the platform dependent format by the resource compiler. This allows to do global changes (e.g. mipmap computation, mesh stripification) depending on presets and platforms without scarifying loading time.

Polybump™ 2: Standalone or fully integrated with other tools including 3ds max™. Creates a high quality surface description that allows very quick extraction of surface features normal maps in tangent-space or object-space, displacement maps, unoccluded area direction, accessibility and other properties.

Scripting system: Based on the popular LUA language. This easy to use system allows the setup and tweaking of weapons/game parameters, playing of sounds and loading of graphics without touching the C++ code.

Flow graph: The flow graph system allows the designers to code game logic without touching a line of code. Coding basically becomes connecting boxes and defining properties.

Modularity: Entirely written in modular C++, with comments, documentation and subdivisions into multiple DLLs.

Multi-threading: Support for multiprocessors improves multiplayer by reducing network latency and speeds up CPU computations in various areas.

64Bit: We support 32bit and 64bit OS to allow more memory being utilized.

Tell us what you think! It really sounds powerful, doesn't it.

Ninja Turtles Take Control Of Huge Building

2007-04-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

How can a couple of Ninja Turtles take control of a 25 meter tall building? Simply project them on the building at night and run an impressive movie which makes use of the measures of the building. This guerilla stunt was done to promote the new Ninja Turtles movie in Brasil.

From TechDip

iPhone emulator for Windows Mobile

2007-04-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

This is a lawsuit waiting to happen. If you cant wait for the iPhone or simply dont want it, or cant afford it and have a Windows Mobile Pocket PC phone well you are in luck. Emulator works with 2 of the main features of the iPhone the slide to unlock function and the touch screen icons. Here it is folks stright from MS Mobiles.

Gears of War Update now includes new gameplay type! - Annex

2007-04-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

Here it is folks a video showing the brand new gameplay type called Annexin the game update which was recently released. Well to me it looks like the redifined version of King of the Hill gameplay type but oh well lets call it Annex!

Halo 3 Gameplay Video!

2007-04-13T07:40:00.000-07:00

Gametrailers.com has a new Halo 3 gameplay video showcasing some of its features in multiplayer! To me it looks sweek big open environments, vehicles and the supercool weapons from the previous games. The only thing people may complain about are the graphics. Well its obviously early stages to judge that the game is still probably in the beta development phase. Only time will telll if Halo 3 will be the new monster of FPS for the console!

Lost Planet coming to a PC near you!

2007-04-13T07:05:00.000-07:00

Kotaku reports the Xbox 360 blockbuster from Capcom is eventually going to come to PC. Not only that it will make use of DirectX 10! North America and Europe will see this fab game in June. The engine which Lost Planet and Dead Rising are developed on is quite amazing. With features like displaying absolutely hundreds of enemies on screen at one time with advanced motion blur, fire and smoke effects Capcom is surely going to some out top.

Heres the Xbox 360 Trailer for the game showcasing some of the games elements and amazing multiplayer!

News from: http://kotaku.com/gaming/top/its-official-lost-planet-hitting-pcs-252005.php

X-series Services - Mobilcast Review

2007-04-13T06:25:00.001-07:00

For the first review I will look at one of the services the mobile network 3 provides in the UK and Australia. The phone I am using is the Nokia N73. This is podcasting on your mobile phone through the 3 network which gives you UNLIMITED access to these X-Series services for £5-10 pounds.

Ok people heres my first review of one of the applications that comes preinstalled with the X-Series: Mobilcast. Mobilcast is a podcasting tool which you can basically use to look for any type of podcast and either stream it or save it to your phone for later listening. I can tell you the 3G network is super fast, podcasts buffer in about 5 seconds for 30 mins length podcasts.

A screen showing the different podcasts avaliable, overall I have to say there is quite an amazing range of podcasts, so fans of such technology will be in for a treat. The menu system and navgation is very fast on the Nokia n73.

Choosing a podcast gives you brief information on what its on, in this case I chose the daily podcast on tech news provided by cnet.

Upon selecting the podcast it gives you clear information on its length, date and size. In terms of downloading speed, as I have mentioned before this 6.3mb file buffered in about 5 seconds, obviously download would take longer. As you can see options for save file for later and favourites are also avaliable.

When you listen to the podcast you can contol everything using the keypad, this pic shows which keys are assigned!

Well that concludes the review. More to come later, Skype, Yahoo services and random apps you can use for the internet!