Mozilla looking to redesign browser bookmarking with Dropzilla

Mozilla could be looking to reinvent bookmarking in Firefox as part of an ongoing effort to improve Firefox’s browsing experience. Mozilla’s Brian Groudan recently conducted a nine week research project at the request of the Firefox for Android team that questioned whether traditional bookmarks are really the best method to support revisits.  

Groudan selected 10 people to participate in his study. He sent each person a diary and asked them to keep track of various metrics over the span of three days. On the first day, he wanted users to focus on saving content. Day two was centered around revisiting content and day three dealt with bookmark deprivation.

After a follow-up interview with each participant at Mozilla headquarters, Groudan combed over the data, pulled important quotes from each person and arranged them into categories. From here he further studied the data before meeting with Mozilla’s UX design team to brainstorm several design concepts.

One of the concepts that emerged is called Dropzilla. It allows a user to drag and drop a favicon into a save for later space. This visualization allows people to tackle two tasks at once: saving bookmarks and organizing bookmarks. Think of it as a Pinterest of websites you want to revisit at a later date.

Groudan concludes his blog post by pointing out that Mozilla is uniquely positioned to deliver a save function similar to this. He never came out and said it would actually happen, however. Based on positive reader reaction, Mozilla could definitely be on to something worth looking into further.


Source : techspot[dot]com

EA posts $381 million loss, blames MoH for "soft" holiday outlook

EA has posted a loss of $381 million on revenue of $711 million for its fiscal second quarter ending in September, down from a $340 million loss on revenue of $715 million in the year-ago period. Despite those seemingly grim figures, the company's performance exceeded analysts' expectations.

That doesn't seem to be the case for the third quarter, however, as the publisher believes it will post a profit of $0.50 to $0.60 per share on revenue of $1.25 billion to $1.35 billion, which falls short of the profit of $0.71 per share on $1.38 billion in sales that analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected.

In an investor's call, the company acknowledged that its third quarter "appears soft," and this is largely blamed on the weak critical reception of its latest modern military shooter, Medal of Honor: Warfighter, which currently has a Metacritic score of 51 to 56 depending on the platform.

EA also cited the recent cancellation of NBA Live 13, which was supposed to launch on Xbox Live Arcade as a downloadable product for $20 but was reportedly shelved for not being up to par with the quality of the company's other sports franchises.

Said sports titles were the primary reason EA topped second-quarter expectations, with FIFA 13 and Madden NFL 13 being the western world's two top-selling games in September. The former logged 7.4 million sales during its first four weeks of availability, marking EA's all-time biggest sports launch, while the latter has seen a 30% year-over-year increase in total online game sessions and has sold 9% more copies than its predecessor in the same period (specific numbers weren't provided). Other highlights and metrics include:

  • EA was the #1 publisher in the Western World in calendar year 2012 to date, with five of the top seven titles.
  • Need for Speed: Most Wanted launches this week with great reviews. IGN and Game Informer awarded Need for Speed a 9 out of 10.
  • FIFA digital net revenue generated over $115 million in the first half of fiscal 13, including FIFA Online 2 and FIFA World Class Soccer that together contributed over $50 million.
  • Battlefield 3 Premium service has sold over 2 million subscriptions to date, up from 1.3 million in late July.
  • The Simpsons: Tapped Out has been a top grossing iOS game for the past four weeks, was the #1 application in 54 countries, including the US, UK and Germany, and recently logged a record-high of 2.8 million daily active users.
  • EA's games and services for mobile have generated a 60% year-over-year increase in digital net revenue.
  • Catalog continues to outperform with Battlefield 3 and FIFA 12 together selling through nearly 4 million units in the first half of the fiscal year.
  • Trailing twelve-month non-GAAP digital net revenue was a record $1.44 billion.
  • Trailing twelve-month operating cash flow was $490 million, a $183 million improvement from the prior quarter.
  • EA repurchased $108 million of shares in the second fiscal quarter pursuant to a $500 million Share Repurchase Program announced on July 31, 2012.
  • Origin has registered over 30 million users, including 13 million mobile users, and has signed agreements with 71 independent developers.

Source : techspot[dot]com

Windows Phone 7.8 update rumored for weeks after WP8

Windows Phone 7.8 update rumored for weeks after WP8

The home screen is about all that changes with 7.8

While Windows Phone 8 early adopters eagerly await for the first handsets to arrive in the next few days, current Windows Phone users may have to hold out a bit longer for their OS update.

Chinese tech blog WPDang cited unspecified sources that claim that Windows Phone 7.8 will make its debut pre-installed on a new line of low-end WP7 handsets four to six weeks after the Windows Phone 8 launch.

Only after the new handsets hit the market will carriers start pushing the 7.8 update to subscribers.

Microsoft may not be looking for any news to distract from the new Windows Phone 8 smartphones, so it is difficult to be skeptical about rumors of a delayed 7.8 launch.

Windows Phone 8 stealing the spotlight

While the Windows Phone 7.8 update will miss out on most of the new features for Windows Phone 8, it will bring Wi-Fi tethering to legacy smartphones.

Also look for WP7.8 to include an updated home screen with live tiles that take advantage of the entire screen space.

A Nokia document hinted that the camera software on its WP7 smartphones will also see an upgrade, though other OEMs have not made similar announcements.

WP7 users will still miss out on new Windows Phone 8 features, like true multi-tasking, NFC support, over-the-air updates, multi-core processor support and IE 10.

The HTC 8X will be the first Windows Phone 8 handset on the market, arriving Nov. 2, and followed by the Nokia Lumia 920, Lumia 820 and Samsung Galaxy Ativ S.

In the mean time, WP7 users will just have to wait until the Windows Phone 8 furor calms down enough for Microsoft to give 7.8 another look.


Source : techradar[dot]com

How to install Windows 8 on a Mac

windows 8 on a mac

If you’re a Mac owner curious to give Windows 8 a whirl but can't afford a new PC, follow our guide to find out just how easy it is to install Windows 8 on a Mac.

Even if you’re a hardcore Apple aficionado, it’s hard not to be a little curious about what’s new in Windows 8. In fact, earlier in June, we asked whether a Mac could be the best Windows 8 laptop. Whether you’d like to check out all the possibilities of the new integrated apps, or you just want to poke around in the radically redesigned interface, it’s easy to install Windows 8 on a Mac and take it for a test run. And the best part? Thanks to how easy it is to dual-boot, there’s no need to commit to Windows 8 at all. You’ll be able to flip back to your regular Mac OS at any time.

We’ve talked about what features we love in Windows 8, as well as all the annoying Windows 8 quirks, but the best way to see if Windows 8 is right for you is to try it for yourself. Here’s how…

Dual-Booting: Operating System vs. Computer

First, before we get into the nitty-gritty details, it’s important to understand the difference between an operating system (like OS X Mountain Lion, or Windows 8) and a computer itself. Many users don’t realize that it’s possible to have multiple operating systems running on the same computer. But it’s easy to understand if you think of it this way: Your computer is like a physical building, while the operating system is like a business running out of that building. Just like a single building can hold multiple businesses, a single computer can run multiple operating systems — you just need to switch between them. Having two operating systems on the same computer is called dual-booting, because you can boot up either OS whenever you turn on the computer. 

How to get Boot Camp Assistant

It’s remarkably easy to install Windows 8 on a Mac using a program called Boot Camp, which Apple provides for free. All you need is an Intel-based Mac computer running Mac OS X 10.6 or later. If you need to check if your computer is Intel-based, simply select “About this Mac” from the Apple menu and make sure your processor is made by Intel. 

If your operating system is up to date, Boot Camp Assistant should already be installed. Just look under the “Utilities” folder under “Applications.” If you can’t find it, select the Apple menu, and then choose “Software Update” to update your operating system to the newest version.

Installing Windows 8 from scratch using Boot Camp

 It’s a snap. Just follow the steps below:

 1. Make sure your machine meets the Windows 8 system requirements.

While most of these specs shouldn’t pose a problem for newer computers, the hard disk space requirement of a minimum of 16GB (32-bit) or 20GB (64-bit) may pose a challenge if you’re already running out of space. Keep in mind that since you’ll be dual-booting, you’ll probably need a little extra room on your hard drive.

 2. Buy a copy of Windows 8.

This step might be a little harder — at least for your budget. While Microsoft is offering upgrades to previous versions of Windows for only $39.99 through the end of January 2013, a brand new retail version of Windows 8 is rumored to run you $199. However, Newegg.com currently has Windows 8 Pro on sale for $139, and Windows 8 Enterprise for $99. Unsure which version is right for you? Windows 8 Pro boasts benefits such as data encryption and remote desktop abilities; but for most casual users, Enterprise should do the trick just fine. Be forewarned, however: retail versions of Windows 8 are not available as digital downloads, so if you have a computer without a DVD drive — such as a Mac Mini, Macbook Air, or newer Macbook Pro — you’ll need to connect an external drive to perform the install. 

3. Use Boot Camp to create a new hard drive partition.

If this step throws you for a loop, you can always consult Apple’s official guide. Remember our business-in-a-building analogy from earlier? Creating a hard drive partition is like clearing enough floor space in the building for another business to set up shop. In other words, you’re just setting aside room for the new operating system.

Once you’ve started up Boot Camp, simply select the size of the partition you’d like to make. We recommend around 30GB for Windows 8, but remember that you’ll need at bare minimum of 16GB (for 32-bit) or 20GB (for 64-bit). Boot Camp will create the partition automatically without erasing any of your existing data.

4. Install Windows 8 using Boot Camp.

Again within Boot Camp, select the option “Start Windows Installer,” and then insert your Windows 8 disc. The rest of the installation wizard should flow fairly smoothly. There’s only one caveat to watch out for: When asked where to install Windows 8, make sure you don’t choose the partition where you currently have your Mac OS X installed. Doing so would erase all your existing data. The correct partition for installation will be labeled “BOOTCAMP” in all caps.

5. Flip between Mac OS X and Windows 8 to your heart’s content.

After installation, your computer will automatically restart into Windows 8, where you can customize your shiny new operating system. From now on, whenever you want to switch into the opposite operating system, simply restart your computer and hold down the Option key while it’s booting up. Experiment and enjoy!


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

BlackBerry 10 phones being tested by carriers as Pentagon says it will keep using RIM handsets

Research In Motion boss Thorsten Heins has announced that devices running the firm's next-generation OS, BlackBerry 10, are now being tested by carriers around the world, keeping it on course for release early next year. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has said it will continue to use BlackBerry devices in its work.

It’s encouraging. It’s a step in the right direction. It might mean Research In Motion (RIM) really will fulfill its promise of a first-quarter 2013 launch of its next-generation BlackBerry 10 OS and handsets.

RIM CEO Thorsten Heins announced in a statement on Wednesday that handsets running the new OS were now being tested by more than 50 carriers worldwide.

Heins said reaching the testing phase meant the company had “passed a critical milestone” in the development of its new mobile computing platform.

“The hard work will not stop here as we build towards launch,” Heins said in the statement, adding, “Our developer teams are continuing to generate momentum to bring a wealth of applications to BlackBerry 10, our enterprise teams have started to present BlackBerry 10 devices and services to our business customers, and our engineers are fully mobilized to ensure that BlackBerry 10 launches flawlessly in the first quarter of 2013.”

In an interview with the BBC last week, Heins urged consumers not to underestimate “the dynamic [BlackBerry 10] is going to create in the market.”

In other news involving the mobile company, the Pentagon made clear this week that it would carry on supporting “large numbers” of BlackBerry handsets despite going ahead with plans to allow the US military to use other devices such as the iPhone.

“The Defense Information Systems Agency is managing an enterprise email capability that continues to support large numbers of RIM devices,” a spokesman told Reuters this week. A number of government agencies and businesses have said in the last year they would be issuing staff with iOS or Android devices, ending long-standing contracts with BlackBerry. While the Pentagon also appears to be relaxing its association with RIM, things are so serious at the Canadian company that the defense agency’s announcement that it’s not switching entirely to rival devices will actually be perceived as good news by many.

The BlackBerry was once the phone of choice for many agencies and firms thanks largely to its strong security features. However, security on rival handsets such as Apple’s iPhone and a number of Android-powered devices has improved over time, offering an alternative to the BlackBerry.

The launch of RIM’s next-generation OS and handsets is its make-or-break moment. Perhaps the Canadian mobile maker – once the country’s most valuable company – can still turn things around, remain a viable player in the mobile game and consequently help to keep competitors on their toes.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Microsoft enlists the Principality Of Liechtenstein to promote Halo 4

In an effort to promote the imminent release of Halo 4, Microsoft has transformed large swaths of the Principality Of Liechtenstein into setting straight out of the company's most iconic franchise.

If you’re not immediately familiar with the Principality Of Liechtenstein, don’t fret: Unless you’ve got a thing for the nuances of European history or a fetish for tiny, land-locked countries, there’s very little to note about the modern Liechtenstein. Then again, if you’re a fan of Microsoft’s Halo franchise, you may suddenly be finding yourself tempted to book a sight-seeing trip to the miniscule nation.

Why? Because Microsoft recently transformed a number of Liechtenstein’s most iconic landmarks into gaudy promotional pieces for Halo 4.

According to an official announcement issued by Microsoft this morning, on October 29 the company effectively rented huge sections of Liechtenstein (including Gutenberg Castle, which dates back to the 13th century, and a working mine) to create something akin to a live-action roleplaying recreation of the Halo gaming series. Actors led small groups of dedicated Halo fans (and media) through various warzones Microsoft had set up in and around Liechtenstein’s landmarks. These tours reportedly lasted for two-plus hours and while none of the visiting fans were given a chance to gun down hostile aliens, the adventures did involve “decoding a series of cryptic clues to help save mankind from extinction by fighting off the threat of an attack.”

And why did Microsoft spend what must have been a massive amount of cash to occupy a small European nation for a day? Spectacle. Pure spectacle.

Halo is a $3 billion blockbuster franchise that has shaped entertainment history and defined a generation of gamers,” said Microsoft’s European vice president of interactive entertainment Chris Lewis. “From the world’s first-ever red-carpet premieres for a video game to sending a man strapped to a jet pack 50 feet above London’s iconic skyline, Halo launches have continually broken the mold, and we are back with a colossal bang for Halo 4, transforming a country on the biggest scale imaginable.”

Say what you will about this promotional stunt, but Lewis does have a very valid point: Transforming a country, even one like Liechtenstein which has a mere 36,000 citizens, does set the bar pretty high for any future promotional efforts. We could possibly see Activision doing something on this scale for a Call Of Duty sequel, but beyond that it’s hard to imagine any other company topping this. Of course, that also makes it rather difficult for Microsoft’s PR team to come up with some imaginative new stunt that might eclipse this effort whenever the company gets around to releasing the inevitable Halo 5, but they’ll spectacularly detonate that bridge when they get to it.

Whether Microsoft’s willingness to rain down precious tourism dollars on the people of Liechtenstein (they’re called “Liechtensteiner” and “Liechtensteinerin,” depending on whether they’re male or female, respectively) has convinced you to pick up a copy of Halo 4 on November 6 is entirely up to you, but before you earmark the necessary $60 you should know that our review of Halo 4 will appear at 12:01AM PST tonight. I’m not writing it so I couldn’t offer any spoilers even if I wanted to, but I have to assume that, if nothing else, our official look at the game will provide far more solid, useful information than might be garnered from watching a rented Master Chief strip the dignity from an eight-century-old castle simply by his mere presence.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

LG Nexus 4 versus Samsung Galaxy S3: Which one is the right one for you?

The new LG Nexus 4 has arrived, and with it comes a question about whether or not the new Nexus upstages the previous flagship device that is the Samsung Galaxy S3.

While both devices have some similarities, there are some pretty key differences here as well. Let’s take a quick look at specs, dimensions and the software running inside to get a better idea of how the two Android phones really compare next to each other.

Weight and Dimensions

Both devices are large-screen phones that still have a fairly sleek and sexy overall design. The Nexus 4 probably has a design that is going to appeal to those looking for more eye candy though.

As for actual size, the Galaxy S3 is thinner at .34-inches, versus the Nexus 4′s .36-inch thickness. Weight wise, the Galaxy S3 is also just 133g, while the Nexus 4 is a bit heavier at 139 grams. Is this a HUGE difference? For most of us, probably not.

Display

Pretty close here. The 4.7-inch Nexus 4 has a 1280 x 768 display with a ppi of 318. In contrast, with the Galaxy S3 you get a 4.8-inch 306ppi device with a resolution of 1280 x 720.

Processor and RAM

With the Nexus 4 you have a Quad-Core Qualcomm S4 running at 1.5GHz with 2GB of RAM.

As for the S3? It depends. In the North American market you get a Qualcom S4 dual-core at 1.5GHz with 2GB of RAM. As for the international market, you get a quad-core Exynos at 1.4GHz with just 1GB of RAM.

While the Nexus 4 might be a little faster here, it’s really hard to say for sure considering the major differences between the international and North American Galaxy S3.

Storage

Honestly, the Samsung Galaxy S3 really wins here. You have 16/32/64GB choices and can expand the memory even further with an SD slot. As for the Nexus 4? No SD slot and only 8 and 16GB storage sizes.

Battery

Actually, the batteries in both devices are 2100 mAh. That being said, the Nexus 4 doesn’t have LTE so it might actually perform better. Probably too early to call for sure.

Wireless

Unfortunately, the LG Nexus 4 just has HSPA+ 42 and no 4G LTE. This might not matter to you if you are in a region that doesn’t have 4G LTE, though. In many ways HSPA+ 21 and 42 are more widespread than LTE anyhow.

This is probably where preferences are really going to kick in hard. If you absolutely want LTE… the Samsung Galaxy S3 wins here.

Cameras

The Nexus 4 gives us an 8MP rear cam and 1.3MP front cam. The Galaxy S3 has an 8MP rear cam and a 1.9MP front cam. At least on paper, these two devices are pretty on par in this category.

Operating System

While both devices are running Android, many markets have yet to even get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean delivered to the Samsung Galaxy S3 yet– let alone the new Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update. While there isn’t that major for some users, it is still another factor to consider. If you want the latest version of Android, the Nexus 4 has it and the Galaxy S3 still doesn’t. Also worth noting, the Galaxy S3 has the TouchWiz interface, while you get a vanilla Android experience with Nexus devices.

So Which Wins?

Honestly, there is no clear winner here. If you want a solid device that is fast and has the latest version of Android but don’t care about LTE, you might certainly want an LG Nexus 4.

If you want more storage space and 4G LTE (in select markets) then you might want to consider the Samsung Galaxy S3. What is great about Android devices is that there is a wide variety out there, which makes it easy to find something tailored directly to what you are looking for. Which do you prefer, the Galaxy S3 or the new LG Nexus 4?



Source : mobilemag[dot]com

Beleaguered Loot Drop announces Ghost Recon Commander cancellation

Following the recent cancellation of its already-well-funded Kickstarter roleplaying game, developer Loot Drop has announced the cancellation of Ghost Recon Commander.

 Ghost Recon Commander

Though the name might not be immediately familiar, you’ve likely got some level of existing knowledge about developer Loot Drop. This is a company headed by John Romero, Tom Hall and Brenda Brathwaite, a trio of game industry veterans who have collectively worked on titles like DOOM, Quake and the Wizardy series. In short, these three have had a hand in numerous very important game releases over the past few decades.

With that kind of pedigree you’d expect that everything Loot Drop touches would turn to gold. However, the recent past has proven a bit rocky for the firm. You may recall a report we published on October 22, that detailed the cancellation of a Kickstarter project the firm had created. A Kickstarter cancellation by itself wouldn’t be interesting news, but in this case the project had already pulled in nearly $250,000 and still had 13 days to go before its timer ran down. At that time Brathwaite and Hall posted an update to the Kickstarter project page explaining the cancellation.

“Ultimately, our pitch just wasn’t strong enough to get the traction we felt it needed to thrive,” the update states. “Sure, it may have made it. We could have fought our way to a possibly successful end. In reading your feedback and talking it over internally, however, we decided that it made more sense to kill it and come back with something stronger.”

Whatever the reason, this cancellation comes with unfortunate timing, as now, a mere week and a half later, Loot Drop has announced the cancellation of yet another game. Specifically, we’re talking about Ghost Recon Commander, a Facebook-based strategy title that, as its title would suggest, was a part of Ubisoft’s vast Ghost Recon franchise. Unlike the previous Kickstarter debacle however, Loot Drop offers no explanation for the cancellation. Instead, we’re left with a succinct Facebook message:

Sad news. Today, Ghost Recon Commander was cancelled. As a result, we laid off a team of awesome developers. If you have openings, especially in SF, ping me, or add your info after this post. Coders, artists, amazing assistant designer, and awesome QA guy.

Bizarrely, this cancellation announcement appeared on the same day that the Loot Drop website was updated to announce that Ghost Recon Commander had “tied with Draw Something for the runner up slot in the Best Free to Play Game in the Golden Joystick Awards.” Why post such a thing if your game is mere hours away from cancellation? Or does the timing of these announcements indicate that this cancellation caught Loot Drop’s employees by surprise?

Based on what scant information we’ve been given any speculation on what’s happening at Loot Drop would be wildly premature, but we’ve got our fingers crossed that Loot Drop can turn things around in the near future. Or, at the very least, that we won’t be back here next week detailing the cancellation of yet another Loot Drop title. 


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Grand Theft Auto V officially arrives in Spring 2013

Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V finally has an official release window, and you're mere days away from being able to pre-order Rockstar Games' latest crime epic.

In a short missive posted this morning to the official Rockstar Games website, the company has revealed that Grand Theft Auto V will hit retail shelves at some point during the Spring of 2013. Further, Rockstar also states that come November 5, you’ll be able to walk into any gaming retailer and drop whatever amount of cash and personal details they deem necessary to pre-order the open-world game.

If “Spring” seems like an odd time to release a new sequel in a series that has a tendency to smash all kinds of sales records and pull in ludicrous amounts of profit, well, you’re correct. If this were any other developer we’d slam this decision and wonder why the company wouldn’t rather release Grand Theft Auto V just prior to the lucrative holiday season. Of course, given that this is Rockstar, this is perfectly in keeping with the company’s history. Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar’s take on old-west cowboy drama, was released on May 18, 2010, while Grand Theft Auto IV first appeared on April 29, 2008. Both of those games sold like hotcakes made of ambrosia, a feat that was no doubt boosted by the fact that these Spring release dates free Rockstar’s games from having to compete with the dozens of big-name titles that hit  store shelves immediately prior to Christmas.

While we still know very little about Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar concludes its announcement by saying that “fans can expect a host of new information to become available in November.” So, expect magazine spreads, commercials and massive retrospectives on the Grand Theft Auto series as a whole to crop up every few days for roughly the next six months. Hopefully this is yet another Rockstar title that proves itself worth the pre-release hype, because we have a feeling that the PR push on this game is going to be crazy-huge. Those of you who abhor street violence and mob movie stereotypes should probably avoid mass media until sometime next June.

Of course, if you can’t wait for the PR blitz to commence, Rockstar also released a largely meaningless, but nonetheless attractive poster alongside today’s announcement. You can find the entire thing below.

GTAV announcement poster


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Windows 8 laptop roundup: Traditional PCs get an upgrade

notable windows 8 devices microsoft tablets laptops

Windows 8 is enabling a buffet of innovative new laptops. These are our currently our favorite traditional laptops in the launch library of Windows 8 devices, which has grown quite large.

It will definitely take some getting used to — the hands-on nature of the OS already requires a bit of a brain rewire — but change should be exciting. This is the first time in a long time that Microsoft has drastically overhauled the aesthetics in Windows and it should be celebrated for it. Yes, it has its limitations and annoyances, but Microsoft is steadily rolling out updates and responding to customer feedback. There’s nowhere to go but up. 

Windows 8 represents the start of a radical shift in the laptop market. Microsoft’s decision to re-design the Windows interface for use with touch should solve one of the most serious problems facing PC manufacturers interested in touchscreen devices – the lack of a decent interface.

No time has been wasted in the development of new products with new ideas. In fact, some of the products debuting with Windows 8 are concepts first shown nearly a year ago at CES 2012. Looking for a new notebook? We’ve rounded up the laptops that we think are most likely to interest consumers when the new operating system hits store shelves on October 26.

Acer Aspire M5Acer’s Aspire Timeline Ultra M5, one of our favorite Ultrabooks, is being updated for use with Windows 8. The update appears to almost wholly consist of a 10-point touchscreen. Most other components, and the chassis itself, appear largely untouched. We’re not opposed to that. We think the touchscreen model would be a good choice for anyone who wants some touchscreen functionality but intends to still rely primarily on the ole’ touchpad and keyboard. Acer’s priced the model accordingly – it will start at just $800.

Asus Taichi

Asus Taichi dualscreen laptop

The Taichi is one of the more bizarre concepts to debut alongside Windows 8. Unlike most convertibles, which turn into a tablet by sliding the display forward or flipping it around, the Taichi simply adds a second display to the top of the laptop. Open, it’s a laptop. Closed, it’s a tablet. It’s an interesting concept. Practical? That remains to be seen, but Asus is outfitting the 11.6-inch laptop with world-class hardware and seems intent on making it a flagship product. It’s powered by Intel Core processors, come with a solid state drive and both of the displays are 1080p. The expected introductory price will be $1,300.

HP Envy Spectre XT TouchSmart

HP has gone berserk on this 15-inch touchscreen laptop. It offers a 1080p IPS display, an Intel Core processor, a Thunderbolt port and, of course, a touchscreen. Unlike most of the other laptops listed here, the Spectre XT is clearly not meant for travel. Its weight of 4.7 pounds makes it the gorilla of the group despite its thin profile. Still, not everyone who buys a laptop needs portability and the hardware specs make it clear the XT will be a competitor for the performance crown among this pack.

HP Envy x2

Buyers looking for a small convertible in the Envy line will want to direct their gaze to the Envy x2. It’s an 11.6-inch dockable tablet that will be shipping with a 1366 x 768 pixel IPS display and weigh in at just 3.1 pounds. It also includes a solid state hard drive, a built-in NFC chip and support for a stylus. It does suffer from the same gotcha as the Asus Vivo Tab, however — an Intel Atom processor. This is made worse by rumors that it will have a price over $1,000 and perhaps as high as $1,400. We have a hard time believing than any Atom powered product would be worth a premium.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga

IdeaPad YogaThe Yoga is a concept that Lenovo showed at CES 2012 as a showcase for both ultrabooks and what might be possible with Windows 8. Its claim to fame is a unique hinge that makes it possible to swing the keyboard almost 360 degrees, which places the display on the “bottom” of the laptop. It then can be used as a tablet. The Yoga can also use the keyboard as a stand for the touchscreen. Lenovo will be shipping the Yoga with Intel Core processors, solid state drives and a 13-inch 1600 x 900 pixel IPS display. These are respectable specifications, and they become all the more enticing in light of a $1,000 starting price. We think this may end up among the most popular convertibles on the market.

Samsung Series 5 Ultra Touch

Samsung Series 5 Ultra Touch

The Samsung Series 5 Touch joins the Acer Aspire M5 as our pick for the everyman’s touchscreen laptop. We have not fully reviewed the Series 5, but we’re not oblivious to it. We think it a well-built, yet affordable, 13-inch Ultrabook. A touchscreen is of course included in the new model, as is a Core low-voltage processor and a mechanical hard drive paired with a solid state cache drive. It’s all conventional stuff, so it’s good that Samsung has barely touched the price. Base price starts at $800.

Conclusion

Our top pick going in to the launch of Windows 8 is the IdeaPad Yoga. This convertible touchscreen laptop offers a unique design, powerful hardware, impressive displays, and an affordable price tag. We haven’t had the chance to fully review any of these products, however, and we’ve had hands-on time with only some of them. Take this list as a collection of first impressions rather than final verdicts. Look for our full reviews on these laptops and more over the coming months.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Activision ups its mobile game with Activate and two new Skylanders titles

Activision's bid to conquer the mobile gaming market continues as the company announces a new Game Center-style social network called Activate and two new Skylanders titles for mobile devices.

Activision has started its fall blitz. Licensed small fries like 007 Legends and Wipeout 3 are getting back up from giants like the appropriately named sequel Skylanders: Giants and the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. Even as Activision goes for broke chasing the console gamer dollar, the company continues to expand its meager mobile gaming operations.

The latest mobile gaming effort from Activision is Activate, the company’s new mobile gaming network. Described as a social platform, Activate is Activision’s answer to Apple’s Game Center, Amazon’s GameCircle, GREE’s OpenFeint, DeNA’s Mobage and even Microsoft’s Xbox Live. Users can login to the Activate network using their Facebook ID and password or create a specific account and then look at features common to these types of services. Friends lists, achievements, cloud saves, etc.

Activision hasn’t announced a start date for Activate, but when it is ready for primetime, the company will have a significant weapon for differentiating itself in the mobile market: Skylanders. Billed as the company’s “next billion dollar franchise,” the announcement of Activate came alongside the reveal of two new mobile Skylanders games, Skylanders: Lost Islands and Skylanders: Battlegrounds. The former is a resource management game, not unlike Farmville, while the later is a way to bulk up Skylanders characters and action figures that can be used in the console game as well. Both games will have social features supported by Activate.

Activision will also bring Activate support to older titles like last year’s iOS game Skylanders: Cloud Patrol. The new mode for that game will be a shooting game called Showdown, and if a player beats the score of anyone on their Activate friends list, the earn more in-game currency.

After ignoring the booming mobile market for years, licensing out its properties to other developers, Activision seems to have found the perfect blend of services and properties to become a player in the field. It already invested heavily in opening new mobile studios this year, like the UK-based Blast Furnace, whose Pitfall! reboot came out in August. It also partnered with Flurry in June to promote indie mobile games on iOS devices.

How big is Activision’s potential audience for Activate? It’s sold 30 million Skylanders toys alone in the past year. That’s a whole lot of people already spending on small goods beyond the game, so microtransactions in the games on Activate are a sure thing.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Wii U Deluxe Digital Promotion offers rebates on eShop purchases

Wii U Gamepad eShop

In lieu of offering Wii U owners a massive swath of awesome launch games, Nintendo hopes to push people toward the classic games available on its eShop by offering sizable incentives.

It’s pretty convenient that we live in an age where our gaming machines can download new titles whenever the mood strikes us. Of course, it would be more convenient if buying these new games via our Internet-enabled gaming machines could somehow earn us a monetary equivalent that might be redeemed for even more games, but that’s some kind of crazy pipe dream. Or at least it was until Nintendo announced the Wii U’s “Deluxe Digital Promotion.”

As you may have gathered from its name, the Deluxe Digital Promotion is an offer available only to those who pick up the $350 Wii U Deluxe Set, a special all-black version of the Wii U that also includes a gratis copy of Nintendo Land as well as several other items you won’t find in the Basic iteration of the Wii U. Assuming you own the Deluxe Wii U, this scheme offers you roughly 10 percent credit back on any eShop purchases you might make.

Nintendo breaks down the math and covers all the additional caveats of this promotional stunt:

All Wii U Deluxe Set owners who purchase digital content for Wii U, including downloadable games in the Nintendo eShop for Wii U and download codes sold at select retail stores, will earn points with a value equivalent to approximately 10 percent of the Nintendo eShop list price of each purchase. For example, a game priced at $59.99, such as New Super Mario Bros. U, would earn 599 points. For every 500 points they earn, participants will receive a code worth $5 in credit to be used in the Nintendo eShop for either Wii U or Nintendo 3DS. Points will be earned on all digital purchases made on a Wii U Deluxe Set from Nov. 18, 2012, until Dec. 31, 2014. When the Deluxe Digital Promotion website launches in December, participants can see the points they’ve earned and receive codes for Nintendo eShop credit by signing in with their Nintendo Network ID and password. Codes must be received at the website by March 31, 2015. Received codes must be exchanged for Nintendo eShop credit on Wii U or Nintendo 3DS by June 30, 2015. Nintendo eShop credit on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS does not expire.

As for the corporate motivation behind this scheme, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of sales and marketing Scott Moffitt claims that this initiative is designed to introduce new and long-time Nintendo fans to the arguably copious number of excellent titles available on Nintendo’s various eShop iterations. “The Deluxe Digital Promotion is our way of encouraging Wii U Deluxe Set owners to explore the Nintendo eShop and discover how Wii U offers an incredible combination of fun, innovation, convenience and value,” Moffitt said.

While Nintendo’s attempts to court the same kind of online functionality seen in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are normally myopic, we support this plan wholeheartedly. There really is a ton of great stuff available on the eShop (even if Nintendo has been a bit stingy with eShop releases of late) and pushing players towards older or lesser known titles that they may have never heard of previously is a worthwhile endeavor, especially since the company has revealed plans to delay some of its launch titles to pad out the console’s game selection throughout the 2013 fiscal year.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

iPad 4 more than twice as fast as iPad 3, benchmarks reveal

iPad 4 more than twice as fast as iPad 3, benchmarks reveal

Well, it certainly looks like an iPad

The fourth-generation iPad, or iPad 4, appears to be a major upgrade over the third-gen iPad 3, according to new benchmark tests.

Apple executives including CEO Tim Cook took the stage at a special press conference last Tuesday to introduce the new iPad, along with the iPad Mini and other new devices.

"This 4th generation is a powerhouse," Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller told the audience and viewers. "What's inside it? A new chip, the A6X. It doubles the performance of CPU tasks."

That's a big promise, but according to the latest report, Schiller's claim that the iPad 4 has double the power may have even been a little conservative.

The numbers don't lie

In TechRadar's side-by-side comparison of the iPad 4 and iPad 3, we noted that the new Apple tablet, dubbed the "iPad with Retina display" despite the last iPad carrying the same screen, might not be a significant upgrade.

But according to a new report from Slashgear, the iPad 4 has more than twice the processing power of its predecessor.

That may in fact be due to Apple's new A6 chip. The benchmark results indicate that the iPad 4's A6 chip clocks in at 1.4GHz, up from the last iPad's 1GHz A5 processor.

The iPad 4's quad-core graphics likely don't hurt, either, and the device doesn't appear to suffer from having the same 1GB of RAM that the last iPad did.

Apple's new A6 chip is also found in the iPhone 5, where it clocks in at 1.3GHz, and according to the same benchmark report, the latest iPhone more than doubles the iPad 3's power as well.

Is it worth an upgrade?

Apple revealed some interesting figures during the iPad press conference, including that 100 million iPads have been sold, and that iPads make up 91 percent of all tablet web traffic.

Apple's previous iPad, the third-gen model with Retina display, was released in March, so some users might be understandably hesitant to upgrade to the iPad 4.

The fourth-gen Apple tablet is priced starting at $US499/£399/AUD$539 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version, while $US629/£499/AUD$679 is the starting price for the same size iPad 4 with LTE data.

TechRadar also compared the iPad 4 to the Microsoft Surface RT, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, and the Asus Tranformer Prime.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Microsoft says games will make Windows Phone 8 a winner, but what’s different?

windows phone 8 xbox

Windows Phone 8 phones are coming out this fall, marking the next phase of Microsoft's grand Windows 8 transformation. The company says that video games will help the mobile platform thrive, but the company's made the same claims before and failed.

This time! This time we will actually stake our claim in the mobile market! That’s Microsoft’s message with Windows Phone 8, the next generation of its mobile operating system and entertainment ecosystem. Past efforts like 2010’s Windows Phone 7 and Microsoft’s subsequent partnership with Nokia, as well as the iPhone 1 contemporary Windows Mobile 6 and its half-step successors 6.1 and 6.5, have barely kept Microsoft alive in the smartphone market dominated by Google’s Android and Apple’s devices. When Windows Phone 8 arrives in November, says Microsoft, it will finally have a worthy platform and you can tell by the games that support it.

On Monday, Microsoft hosted a debut event for its new mobile platform, promising that its digital app market will be every bit as robust as its competitors. While Microsoft’s boast of having 120,000 apps available in the Windows Phone Store may seem wan compared to the iOS App Store’s more than 700,000 apps, the company proudly claims that it will have the most popular titles on its machine. Temple Run, Disney’s Where’s My Water, Rovio earners like Angry Birds Star Wars are just some of the games backed by entertainment apps like Pandora. Zynga is also onboard with its recognizable time consumers like Draw Something and Words With Friends.

Xbox Live support for games sold in the Windows Phone Store, as well as Windows Phone 8’s built-in compatibility with Xbox 360 and Windows 8 PCs will, Microsoft’s thinking goes, make the HTC, Samsung and Nokia handsets carrying the OS attractive to people who want the complete home entertainment experience. The Xbox brand and the Xbox 360 home console are feathers in Microsoft’s cap considering that Google and Apple don’t have products in that space. Development for the platform will also be easy for publishers. Microsoft claims that porting Xbox-branded games between Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and Windows RT is simple.

The truth is, though, that Microsoft has performed this song and dance before. Microsoft held a massive event at the Gamescom conference in 2010 to debut its first wave of Xbox Live-branded games for Windows Phone 7. “Windows Phone 7 is the launch of a major gaming platform for Microsoft,” said the company’s GM of mobile gaming Matt Booty, “Just like we’ve done with Xbox 360, our charter is to push the envelope and deliver definitive games that maximize the platform. We  will have an incredible lineup of MGS titles, and that’s just the beginning.”

Microsoft has sold 70 million Xbox 360s over the past seven years, so there’s no denying the company’s power as a gaming platform holder. The Xbox name and Microsoft’s game business savvy didn’t help Windows Phone 7, though. As of August, the platform controls just 3.5 percent of the global smartphone market. If Windows Phone 8 is going to succeed where Windows Phone 7 failed as a gaming machine, it will need more than just the same games everyone else has.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Microsoft: four million Windows 8 upgrades sold in four days

Windows 8's reception was something of a mixed bag with plenty of opinions in favor and against the new touch-centric interface that takes center stage over the classic Windows desktop. But that isn't stopping consumer adoption of the new OS, apparently. Speaking during his kenote address at the Build 2012 conference, CEO Steve Ballmer told attendees they've sold 4 million upgrades already.

That figure is understood to include individual purchases only as Ballmer also mentioned that “tens of millions” of Windows 8 upgrade units have been sold to corporate customers. According to the chief executive, the “level of interest and enthusiasm” for Windows 8 and the Surface has been “stunning”, although he didn't share any numbers for the latter.

Ballmer is hoping to convice more developers to create applications for its new operating system, as well as the Windows Phone 8 OS launched yesterday. 

So far, companies like Netflix, Hulu, Evernote and eBay have already contributed apps. Other upcoming apps from high-profile developers are being showcased at the event, including clients for Dropbox and Twitter, as well as a PayPal API that will allow developers to use the payment system within any Windows Store app.

Ballmer says that a year from now we’ll see close to 400 million new devices running Windows 8, making it "the single largest opportunity for software developers today." That's certainly a bold prediction considering Windows 7 has sold close to 700 million copies since its release in 2009. Microsoft is hoping that its entry into the tablet market will help bolster sales of its operating system cash cow even further this time around.


Source : techspot[dot]com

Microsoft talks mobile Office for Windows Phone 8

Microsoft has introduced a mobile version of Office for Windows Phone 8 that will come pre-installed on every new handset. Bert Van Hoof from Microsoft’s Office engineering group outlined five clear objectives they wanted to accomplish with the new software in a recent post on the official Office blog.

The first goal was to make all Office documents accessible where and when you want them. To facilitate this, Windows Phone 8 auto-discovery help connect you to your accounts. From there, you’ll want to navigate to the Office Hub, described as the one-stop shop for Office, PowerPoint and Excel. It’s been redesigned with simple and fluid navigation to help locate documents on SkyDrive, Office 365 and SharePoint.

When it comes time to view content on your Windows Phone 8 handset, Microsoft promises a superb document rendering experience. PowerPoint is said to render all shapes and SmartArt Graphics while honoring transition effects and timing. There’s also portrait mode and speaker notes with slide thumbnails to make navigating slides easier.

In Excel, workbooks now open at the last saved sheet and zoom level. New touch-friendly handles allow for easier range selection and resizing of columns / rows while overall navigation is said to be fast and fluid.

Microsoft implemented a full-screen reading mode in Word that shows more content in a single window. Editing options are hidden from view until you tap the document canvas. Cloud-stored documents update in real time and allow you to pick up editing right where you left off on a PC, tablet or another phone.

OneNote Mobile is now a separate app outside of the Office Hub. Simply tapping the OneNote Tile will launch the app, allowing you to quickly capture photo, text or voice notes. Microsoft says notes will look the same across OneNote 2013, OneNote for Windows Store and OneNote Mobile which means you’ll have a consistent look no matter what version you are working with.

Microsoft says Office for Windows Phone 8 is now available in 50 languages, supports complex script and UI mirroring. This means that text and characters in right-to-left languages will be properly aligned with UI elements following the natural direction.

Handsets through AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon in the US are expected to be available starting in mid-November from the likes of HTC, Nokia and Samsung.


Source : techspot[dot]com

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is Infinity Ward’s next game says voice actor

call of duty black ops ii

With just two weeks until Call of Duty: Black Ops II's release, most of Activision's mammoth audience is focussed on the new digital war against drones. Talk of the next entry in the series is already bubbling, though, as a voice actor confirms Modern Warfare 4.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will come out in just two more weeks, when it will make a bid for best-selling video game of 2012. Based on past years—Call of Duty: Black Ops became the fastest selling game of all time in March 2011—Activision’s shooter stands a good chance of unseating current 2012 title holder Madden NFL 2013 from its throne. Based on word from some Call of Duty series voice actors, though, Black Ops 2 is already old news. Infinity Ward is, unsurprisingly, hard at work on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.

This Is Xbox writer Jason Andrews happened to cross paths with Bill Murray on Monday. Not he of Ghostbusters fame but the voice actor behind the Modern Warfare series character Captain Price. Murray confirmed that he’ll be meeting with Infinity Ward on Monday, November 5th to discuss the next sequel in that studio’s branch of Call of Duty.

“[On] Monday I am off to meet Infinity Ward about the next game, Modern Warfare 4, I’m doing work on the sequel to Modern Warfare 3, it carries straight on.”

Infinity Ward has been quiet in 2012, with developer Treyarch taking center stage in the lead up to Call of Duty: Black Ops 2’s release. Even other 2012 Call of Duty entries, like Call of Duty Black Ops: Declassified and Call of Duty Online are the product of other studios working within Activision’s massive network of development resources. Nihilistic is the studio behind Declassified while Online is a collaboration between the newly opened Activision Shanghai and Raven Software. Series creator Infinity Ward has been dead silent on the other hand. Former employees and studio heads Vince Zampella and Jason West made more headlines about settling their mammoth lawsuit against Activision than Infinity Ward did about developing new titles.

There were hints in May, though, that Infinity Ward was preparing to work on its next game in the series. Infinity Ward posted job listings for a Senior Technical Animator, Senior Gameplay Engineer, and a Social Network Engineer. What was particularly notable is that all of those positions were being hired to “design and implement high level network code for an exciting unannounced title for next generation consoles.” With Murray’s word that Infinity Ward is working on Modern Warfare 4 next, it looks like that will be the game to bring the series to Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4 next year.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Verizon lights up online orders for 4G LTE-equipped LG Spectrum 2

Verizon lights up online orders for 4G LTE-equipped LG Spectrum 2

Verizon nabs another exclusive with the Spectrum 2 by LG

Verizon Wireless scored yet another exclusive for its 4G LTE network with the LG Spectrum 2 - but you'll need to get online if you're in the market for one right away.

Taking a break from its usual Thursday new product introductions, Verizon Wireless and LG Electronics USA announced the debut of the Spectrum 2 on Tuesday, a budget-priced Android 4.0 handset perfectly paired with the nation's largest 4G LTE network.

Available online starting today for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year agreement, the Spectrum 2 by LG offers a 4.7-inch IPS True HD screen with Corning Gorilla Glass, Snapdragon S4 Krait 1.5GHz dual-core processor with 1GB RAM and near-field communications (NFC) chip for sharing contacts, maps and websites with others.

If you'd rather head to your nearby Verizon Wireless store, you may have a bit of a wait ahead - the LG Spectrum 2 is only available online for now, with retail availability promised "in the coming weeks."

Smart sharing (and more)

Although the LG Spectrum 2 is arriving out of the gate with last year's Ice Cream Sandwich flavor of Android, the smartphone comes packed with a wide range of other features to help level the playing field.

The global and Mobile Hotspot-ready LG Spectrum 2 includes an 8MP rear-facing camera capable of recording full 1080p HD video along with a 1.3MP front-facing camera for video chats over Verizon's fast 4G LTE network.

LG also includes Smart Share for wirelessly viewing photos or watching videos on any DLNA-enabled device, while the Advanced Image Editor and Video Wiz features make short work of sprucing up anything you shoot with it.

Reprogrammable LG Tag+ stickers can be used to create special smartphone modes just by tapping the NFC-equipped Spectrum 2 against them, perfect for customized home, car and office use.

The Spectrum 2 by LG is also capable of wireless charging when using a unique battery cover included in the box, with an optional $24.99 Premium Sleeve with Smart Display also available for keeping up-to-date with your notifications.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Samsung Galaxy S3 performance coming to supercheap phones

Samsung Galaxy S3 performance coming to supercheap phones

Steal it if you want - I've got five more in my bag

Chip designer ARM has announced new products that will bring high end performance to budget handsets.

The firm has unveiled the new Cortex-A53 and Cortex-A57 chip designs, which will allow partners like Samsung (through its chip manufacturing department) to bring out phones that are more power efficient but with far more raw grunt under the hood.

At the high end of things, the new architecture will allow consumers to get their hands on phones which are three times more efficient at using the apps we all mess around with today – leading to massive power savings or allowing more effort to be put into the high-drain tasks like photo and video processing.

But given the smarpthone explosion is continuing apace globally, the notion of having quad core processors in sub £100/$100/AUS$100 handsets thanks to the A53 architecture means app developers will have a much more stable base of handsets to code to - something ARM is keen on, as it told TechRadar in a recent interview.

Note: big.LITTLE is a good name for a sitcom

The other benefits of the A53 and A57 options means the two can be combined using ARM's big.LITTLE mashup, which means ultra low power when nothing is going on with the phone but instantly spring into life and begin recording Full HD video without a pause.

The size savings are also on offer here, which means manufacturers can make ever smaller handsets with increased cost savings for the consumers (or themselves, those evil geniuses) when the new chipsets start landing in phones.

However, this won't be a swift process; like with all chip designs, it takes ages to cycle through to something in consumers' hands, with these designs going through the manufacturers' test rooms in the next 18 months before turning up in a phone or tablet at your local Phones4U in the by 2014… on the plus side, if you start saving now you can buy LOADS of the phones.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Assassin’s Creed III review: A remarkable story of life, liberty, and the pursuit of vengeance

Assassin's Creed 3 review

A new setting, a new engine, and a new hero push the Assassin’s Creed series into a brave new world littered with familiar trappings, but all fine tuned to make playing the game an experience and an event.

I recently found myself in a lengthy discussion regarding Hollywood’s apparent lack of interest in the American Revolution. There are entire websites dedicated to British productions of the Napoleonic Wars, but only a handful of the seminal moment in American history. Despite our near pathological obsession with capitalizing on anything that could turn a profit, the lack of entertainment focused on the fertile ground that Assassin’s Creed 3 makes its home is bizarre.

Perhaps it is out of respect for the subject matter and especially the subjects that stays our entertainment hand. Or perhaps it is simply the fear of not being able to find a story that can come close to reaching the emotional and cultural significance that the time period elicits. And yet it is a time that is ripe with possibilities.

Ubisoft wisely went in a different direction with AC3. Instead of building a game about the American Revolution, it designed a game that has universal themes and ideals, then tweaked it to fit with the history of the era. The story of Assassin’s Creed III simply exists during the founding of the country, but it is a story of freedom, betrayal, and revenge. And in terms of pure narrative, AC3 is one the best games around.

The War(s)

One stark difference between film and games can immediately be found in AC3‘s prologue. The opening of the game, which is actually fairly lengthy, contains at least two major twists, one for player and one for the story. It would be a disservice to discuss them other than to say that they create a powerful and personal narrative. You know who the enemy is and you know why they fight. You also feel a special bond with the main protagonist, the half-Native American, half-English assassin Ratonhnhaké:ton, otherwise known as Connor.

AC3Without spoiling anything, the story focuses on Connor far more than the Revolution. You will see a great deal of the war, as Connor often finds his interests coinciding with events that resonate through history, but just as often he goes his own way and follows a story more in line with the franchise’s familiar war between the Assassins and the Templars.

As always, the story is linked to the present through the character of Desmond Miles, a reluctant assassin with an inescapable destiny. Desmond has been through a lot over the years/games, and his experiences reach a head in AC3. Although still very much the junior varsity to the historical star, Desmond finally gets his own playable sections sprinkled through the game, which culminates in the resolution of a story thread that has been dangling since the first Assassin’s Creed debuted in 2007. Again though, that is steering into spoiler territory. Just know there is a climax, but the story will certainly go on. That isn’t a spoiler as much as a knowing wink to Ubisoft’s business acumen. No matter what happens, there will certainly be more Assassin’s Creed games.

There will, of course, be a debate as to where Connor’s character stacks up with the other Assassins. It’s natural to rank things, and everyone will have their favorite – just look at the never-ending debate over the best James Bond. Where Connor ranks will come down to personal feeling.

What I can say, however, is that Connor’s story is perhaps the most personal of the three assassins (four, if you count Aveline de Grandpré, from the Vita’s Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation). Ezio quickly became an iconic figure. His charm and humor fed into the creative nature of the missions Ubisoft Montreal continued to dream up for him, and his own tragic story made for good gameplay. But AC3 revolves around Connor in a much different way, and the game cleverly creates a bond between the character and the player. The AC stories have always been sprawling, but the plot in AC3 is the easiest to follow, due in part to the more familiar locales and players, but also because of the narrative tricks Ubisoft introduces. The game is the least complicated of the AC games. That isn’t to say it is simple – it isn’t, there are some serious philosophical and ethical issues addressed throughout the game – but it is told in a more effective way.

FrontierYou see Connor as a child and walk in his footsteps for decades, and Connor is not a passive character. He isn’t as outspoken as Ezio; he has a moral compass that is continually tested, but remains true. The American Revolution may have become a singular and noble event in our minds, but the truth is far messier, and it was colored by gray more than black or white. That is represented here, which allows for a few shocks and surprises along the way.

Although Ezio’s story was perhaps more intricate, Connor and AC3’s narrative is the strongest in the series. It helps that Desmond’s sections buoy it rather than slow it down as was the case in the past, but the story and setting mesh so well that it presents the best overall story of a series renowned for its stories. It’s also worth mentioning that Lorne Balfe’s score is exceptional. 

Pre-America

As much as Connor is the star of AC3, the settings are an equally important character. That might be an overused expression, to attribute a location or setting with a significant portion of the storytelling, but in this case it is apt. Ubisoft Montreal did a magnificent job of packing a lot of world into this game, and it is period accurate (as much as possible in an entertainment medium), which immerses you in the world of that time.

Assassin’s Creed 3 exists in three primary locations: Boston, New York, and the “Frontier,” all of which are shown between 1753 and 1783. There is also a fourth area that you call home, and it does contain missions, but it’s mostly optional how you approach them, and by design it tends to be a place you pass through rather than go.

BostonEach of the three areas is massive. Thankfully fast travel at anytime through the map to specific locations makes navigating the otherwise daunting geography a breeze. Both Boston and New York are packed with side-quests, fights, and historically accurate locations that may seem oddly familiar, but the difference between the places then and now would leave even locals lost.

The third section, Frontier, exists within the same set of rules, but interprets them differently. One of Connor’s most useful and unique traits is his ability to move through nature as easily as the other assassins move through cities. This opens a new world up in terms of gameplay, while the Frontier provides the fodder. You can now hunt and skin animals, which becomes your best source of income early on. This also opens up hunting challenges, although they are usually just something going on in the background (with the exception of a few missions) that you only recognize when an icon notifies you that you completed one, rather than a game like Red Dead Redemption which was designed to nurture an obsessive level of dedication. The Frontier is also where the weather effects are most notable, especially snow, which can hamper your progress, but also leaves trails.  

Like all the Assassin’s Creed games, there is a certain amount of repetition. After the repetition-a-go-go that was the original Assassin’s Creed, the developers realized that interesting gameplay mechanics would only take them so far, and to its credit, Ubisoft has continually worked to improve the variety of mission-types in each game. The newest offering for the franchise continues that trend. There are several side-quests that play out like mini-games (things like defend an area from thugs, or beat up a group for info), and those tend to come in threes, but they are only repeated a few times and longer missions are broken up with new ideas. It is an improvement, even if it isn’t a massive one.

So Long, Tower Defense. Don’t Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out

The most important thing to know about Assassin’s Creed III is that it is very much an evolution of its now familiar mold. It does not reinvent the series. If you were not a fan of the gameplay and style of the previous iterations, then this game probably won’t do much to sweeten your disposition towards it. What it does do is take those familiar motifs and shine them where needed while focusing them in others.

AC3You still have the abundance of collectibles, the synchronization through scaling vantage points, and people that need you to deliver their mail, but other familiar institutions – like training assassins and taking Templar controlled forts – are much easier. To send out assassins you can just open a menu at any time, while fort commanders don’t run screaming and force you to return again and again until you can kill them before the scamper. Gone also is the messy tower defense mode. “I absolutely loved that feature in Revelations!” said no one ever.

Also gone are the Tomb Raider-esque explorations Ezio went through – repeatedly – to earn new armor. Instead, there are a series of somewhat similar missions where you search for pieces of a lost treasure map, but instead of a forgotten catacomb, you complete those missions in places like the middle of a British base or a sinking ship. They are shorter as well, which improves the pacing.

Obviously this isn’t a game changer itself, but it is representative of game as a whole. What could be annoying in the previous games may still be there (with a few exceptions like the nixed races, which no one will miss), but they are more streamlined in general and more fun as a result.

The Cut of AC3‘s Jib 

One of the big additions comes by way of the high seas, as you can now take command of a ship and engage in naval battles. A few of these are required for the story, but most of these battles are optional. You choose your location – anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard from Canada down through the Caribbean – and then go out to sink your enemy. Some of these missions have you escorting other ships, while others are simply seek and destroy.

Naval WarfareThe gameplay mechanic is simple enough: you have a swivel gun, the broadside cannons, and you can weigh anchor, find more maneuverability with half sails, or gain speed with full sails – as long as you remain in the wind. The entire mechanic will take minutes to learn, tops, but it is addictive and you’ll be left wanting more.

It may at first feel like there is less content in this game than its predecessors, but that’s simply because the missions have been given more life. Instead of dozens of assassination missions, you may have hunter challenges that have you search a specific area and then kill a wild animal. It really isn’t that much different, but it feels fresh. Instead of several courtesan or mercenary jobs, you now have homestead missions, which improve your settlement and flesh out the character of the inhabitants (as well as helping to unlock certain bonuses like better weapons or more capacity pouches).

The economy has also seen a notable shift, but not necessarily for the better. Considering the last few games have all just been a matter of “buy buy buy” and there’s your economy, this is an improvement in the fact that it at least tries.

When you progress far enough, you can begin to manufacture and sell your own goods that were either crafted in by your settlement or collected by Connor. The more chests you open, the more recipes you can earn as well, which then allows you to craft better goods. Once you have goods, you can then set up a convoy to travel to merchants you have already met. In theory it is a serviceable mini-game, but in practice the menus are awful and counter-intuitive, and sorting through your goods takes patience and determination, which is only moderately rewarded until late in the game. At that point you won’t really need to spend the money you earn on anything. It is a chore, but it’s thankfully one you don’t have to use.

America was Built on Punches to the Face

One of the biggest issues the series has always faced is the combat, which at its peak was still just a game of blocking at the right time and then hitting the right button. The assassinations were fun and the parkour running was generally tight, but there were always questions with the larger scale combat. That is something that has improved with each game, and AC3 is no exception.

AC3 HomesteadIt isn’t a total overhaul, but it is a much better system than before. It remains linked to the parry mechanic, but that has now been expanded to include multiple ways to fight back that can then lead into chain kills, which we have seen before. Rather than just hitting the button fast enough, these do require a better sense of timing than before, which makes them more engaging.

You can also use your secondary weapons like the rope dart – a chain linked to a dart that can snare a man and leave him hanged – in the combo, as well as picking up muskets on the fly. These are minor tweaks, but they’re good ones. Linking moves together is smooth and easy, and changing up weapons produces great results. Things like aerial assassinations, jumping from a saddle and hanging kills are all simple to execute as well, and the new tools like the bow and the aforementioned rope dart make nice additions.

Welcome to Abstergo

The multiplayer returns with a few new tweaks and the addition of a new game mode called Wolfpack, a co-op centric mode that has you and three others hunting a group of AI controlled targets to earn kills and additional time to push you to the next sequence, then the next, and on. Since it is time based, it can be over incredibly quickly, and the co-op can lead to a bit of confusion as you all go for the kill, but it is a great game mode for people that have been with the multiplayer from the start.

The traditional game modes return, including team objectives and the now familiar deathmatch, with you’re hunting a character as another hunts you. The AC3 multiplayer isn’t a major change from previous offerings, but there is more of an emphasis on the story of Abstergo now.

MultiplayerThe conceit in the multiplayer has always been that you are playing the game as a member of the Templar-controlled Abstergo, which gave it a nice touch of meta. The new content furthers that ideal. It won’t change the way you think of the game, but it should be gravy to the fans of the offering.

If you enjoyed the previous multiplayer, you’ll like this one, if not, this won’t win you over. But with a campaign that is anywhere from 20-40 hours in length, there was no real need to include a multiplayer, and yet it is there, and it works. I’ve always considered it just a bonus to the campaign, and that hasn’t changed.

The Past Can be Ugly

So far my review has been full of justifiable praise, but there is a rub. AC3 is filled with glitches and bugs. More than once I had to restart from a previous checkpoint because an enemy I needed to kill was stuck in a wall. In one instance I managed to join him and we fell through the world together. Missing dialogue, repeated mission briefings that won’t start the mission, and a camera that occasionally sees things that it shouldn’t – like walls instead of you – plague this game occasionally, especially the Desmond sections. The odd chases, especially those on horseback, remain an iffy proposition as well, and they will certainly be the most failed sections.

Boarding PartyWith a few exceptions though, these glitches are just annoying rather than game ending, and while they are a constant companion, they are also less common than you might expect of such a massive game. They are also inevitable. With luck a few patches will knock most of these out soon.  

Conclusion

Ubisoft Montreal took one of the best franchises around and polished it, cut the fat, and created one of the best and most compelling narratives in video games today. With a setting perfect for the ideals that fuel this series and a character that is perfectly suited to bridge the gap between modern sensibilities and the realities of the times, the story is not just an accomplishment for the game, it is an accomplishment for gaming.

There are a few problems throughout, but the narrative and pacing aren’t among them. Sure, AC3 is more akin to a summer Hollywood blockbuster than a powerful indie tearjerker, but it entertains throughout with good historical insight (mostly) and gameplay that makes you feel like a god among men. To top it off, the graphics are among the best ever seen on a console.  

If you can overlook the bugs and are already a fan of the gameplay, then Assassin’s Creed III should stand near the top of your “Must Own” list. The Assassin’s Creed series is already one of the best franchises around today, and this is the best, most complete offering yet.

Score: 9.5 out of 10

(This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360, on a copy provided by the publisher)


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Unique Smartphone with Bamboo Casing On its Way to Kickstarter Soon

A smartphone that is extremely light, super attractive and even manages to be organic? Crazy you say? Perhaps it is, but that’s exactly what the Adzero smarpthone is all about. The Adzero isn’t anything new, and first was talked about at the beginning of this year. The big news is that the company behind it – AD Creative – is now gearing up for actual production of this unique bamboo-based smartphone.

The 4.5-inch Android device is 11.8mm thick, though no official word on the weight as of yet. The rest of the specs are actually pretty impressive wit ha 1280 x 720 TFT LCD and a 1.4GHz Exynos quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM. Other specs include an 8MP rear cam, a .3MP front cam, a 2050 mAh battery, Wi-Fi and UMTS/HSPA+. The only bad news is that this is running on ICS instead of Jelly Bean– though ICS is still more than capable as an operating system.

The project isn’t quite here yet but is expected to arrive to Kickstarter in the very near future, giving consumers a chance to get this unique smartphone for $500. For those that don’t want to purchase the device until it has a solid release date, the Adzero is expected to eventually retail for a rather pricey $700– certainly a lot more costly that than the outright price for the new LG Nexus 4. Still, this phone is hard to beat when it comes to its unique look and organic bamboo casing.

This is nothing short of cool looking, but at $700 it is certainly a niche item that might not fit comfortably into everyone’s budget. What do you think of the AD Creative ADzero?



Source : mobilemag[dot]com

Chrome Remote Desktop loses beta tag, gains new features

Last year, Google released a remote connection software plug-in for Chrome that allowed users to remotely access other PCs through the popular browser. The move was likely inspired by the need of extending functionality to Google's Chromebooks, which purposely come with a closed environment, but the app actually works in any platform where desktop Chrome is available -- Windows, OS X, and Linux.

Today, Google has announced that it is taking its Chrome Remote Desktop screen sharing service out of beta, and the company is adding a couple of useful new features in the process.

The latest version brings the ability to copy and paste between the local and remote machine, and also supports a real-time audio feed for Windows users, which Google suggests can come in handy if you want to remotely access and listen to your MP3 music collection stored on a computer at home.

Google says more features are in the pipeline and promises that it will continue to work on the Chrome Remote Desktop service to make it “even more powerful” in the future. Naturally, the company believes Chrome Remote Desktop is the perfect companion for the new Samsung Chromebook, allowing you to remote into your PC or Mac at home while carrying only the tiny laptop on the go.

Like comparable services such as TeamViewer, Chrome Remote Desktop is also really useful to provide one-off assistance to friends and family -- as the announcement touts, for everything "from adjusting printer settings on your mom’s computer to finding a lost file on your dad’s laptop".

After installing the browser plug-in and going through a lists of permissions, you’ll be presented with two options: connect with a different computer or set up a connection with your own. In either case you'll need to provide a PIN to gain access, the only difference depending on your needs is that you can define a permanent code for accessing your machines, or require a new code each time.


Source : techspot[dot]com

It's free
archive