Current News,Movies,Updates

Magnitude-6 quake rocks RP's Bicol Region

2010-01-27T18:38:00.000-08:00

A powerful predawn quake hit parts of Bicol and Southern Luzon on Thursday, but the Philippine Institute of Volcanology of Seismology said it was too far from land to cause damage.

Phivolcs seismologist Henremagne Penarubia said the quake was recorded at 2:49 a.m., with the epicenter traced northeast of Virac, Catanduanes in Bicol

Citing initial reports, he said the quake was felt at Intensity III in Virac, Catanduanes and in Naga City in Camarines Sur.

It was also felt at Intensity II in Legazpi City in Albay, and even parts of Quezon province in Southern Luzon.

Penarubai also assured there was no tsunami caused by the quake, saying a tsunami is likely if a quake is of magnitude 6.5 to 7.0.

For its part, the United States Geological Survey said the quake was recorded at 2:49 a.m., with the epicenter traced to 140 km east-southeast of Pandan, Catanduanes; 190 km east-northeast of Legazpi City in Albay; 200 km north-northeast of Calbayog, Samar; or 495 km east-southeast of Manila.

Cebu dancing inmates do Michael Jackson's 'This Is It' performance

2010-01-26T23:32:00.000-08:00

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For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

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The Dancing Inmates of The Philippines' Cebu Provisional Jail have recorded another video featuring Michael Jackson music. Their "This Is It" video performingThey Don't Really Care About Us, was posted to You Tube by Sony Entertainment on January 22, 2010. The video is part of the launch of Jackson’s “This Is It” DVD. Jackson’s Choreographer, Travis Payne, worked with the inmates, along with dancers Daniel Celebre and Dreis Reid.

The Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) Dancing Inmates received international attention after their “Thriller” video went viral on YouTube topping 37 million views. The inmates have performed other videos like Michael’s “Dangerous”, a Queen Prison Dance Medley, and Korean Pop tune “Nobody” by Wonder Girls. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibsm_k8akyE6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVkKBHCVVbg7
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Background
The inmates are included in the official book about the King of Pop, ‘’The Official Michael Jackson OPUS’’. The book is a photo tribute to the pop star and includes pictures of the inmates performing.http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/cebu-jail-dancers-featured-mj-book

Watch Dear John

2010-01-26T17:46:00.000-08:00

Release Date:
Feb 05, 2010
Rated:
some sensuality and violence
Runtime:
1 hr. 48 min.
Genres:
Drama, Romance
Cast:
Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried, Henry Thomas, Richard Jenkins, Scott Porter. Full cast + crew

Director Lasse Hallström and screenwriter Jamie Linden collaborate to adapt author Nicholas Sparks' novel about a young soldier who falls for an idealistic college girl. Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried) was on spring break when she first met John Tyree (Channing Tatum), who was home on temporary leave. For the smitten soldier it was practically love at first sight. Over the course of the next seven years, when each deployment seemed more treacherous than the last, the love letters that Savannah sent to John were one of the only things that kept him going. However, those loving and heartfelt correspondences would ultimately yield consequences that neither the brave soldier nor his one true love could have ever foreseen. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Watch From Paris With Love

2010-01-26T17:41:00.000-08:00

Release Date:
Feb 05, 2010
Rated:
strong bloody violence throughout, drug content, pervasive language and brief sexuality
Runtime:
1 hr. 35 min.
Genres:
Action, Thriller
Cast:
John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Kasia Smutniak, Richard Durden. Full cast + crew

From Paris With Love is an upcoming 2010 action film starring John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys Meyers and directed by Pierre Morel. The screenplay was co-written by Luc Besson. The film's score was composed by David Buckley. An official trailer of the movie was released on September 18, 2009 and was attached to The Informant!

Plot

In Paris, a young employee (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) in the office of the US Ambassador joins forces with an American spy (John Travolta) looking to stop a terrorist attack in the city.

Cast

* John Travolta[1] - FBI Agent Charlie Wax
* Jonathan Rhys Meyers[1] - James Reese
* Kasia Smutniak, Caroline
* Amber Rose Revah, Nichole
* Melissa Mars, Wax's Hooker
* Richard Durden, Ambassador Bennington
* Farid Elouardi, Le barbu
* Chems Dahmani, Rasheed
* David Clark, U.S. Embassy Agent(uncredited)
* Frédéric Chau, Waiter(uncredited)
* Eric Godon, Minister a nasty business foreigner
* Sami Darr, Pakistani Pimp(uncredited)
* David Gasman, German Tourist(uncredited)
* Safia Monney, American Tourist(uncredited)
* Michael Vander-Meiren, cop P.A.F
* Didier Constant, customs officer
* Alexandra Boyd,chief of delegation
* Mostefa Stiti,Dir Yasin
* Nick Loren,chief of security(uncredited)

Watch When in Rome

2010-01-26T17:37:00.000-08:00

Disillusioned with romance during her whirlwind trip to Rome, an ambitious New Yorker defiantly swipes a few magic coins from a "foolish" wishing fountain, inadvertently igniting the passions of a motley crew of suitors as she's pursued by a handsome reporter with charm to spare. Beth (Kristen Bell) is at a point in her life where love seems like a luxury she just can't afford. Years of waiting for that perfect romance has made Beth bitter, and one day, while vacationing in Rome, she cynically plucks a handful of coins from a local fountain of love. Almost immediately thereafter, Beth finds herself fending off the advances of a diminutive sausage magnate (Danny DeVito), a lanky street magician (Jon Heder), a doting painter (Will Arnett), and a narcissistic male model (Dax Shepard). Meanwhile, a smitten reporter (Josh Duhamel) does his best to convince Beth that true love isn't just a topic of fairy tales and romance novels. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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When in Rome is an upcoming romantic comedy from director Mark Steven Johnson, whose most recent project was Ghost Rider. The title character is a successful real estate agent who is unlucky in love. The movie will be released in January 2010.
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Plot Synopsis
When in Rome finds Beth Harper in Italy for her sister's wedding. While there, she takes some coins from a "fountain of love" and ends up being pursued by the men who originally tossed the coins into the fountain. Complicating everything is Nick Beamon, a journalist who seems to have genuine feelings for Beth.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_in_Rome_(2010_film)8
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Cast

* Kristen Bell as Beth Harper
* Josh Duhamel as Nick Beamon
* Will Arnett
* Jon Heder
* Anjelica Huston
* Danny DeVito
* Dax Shepard
* Don Johnson
* Alexis Dziena as Joan

Watch Edge of Darkness

2010-01-26T17:32:00.000-08:00

Edge of Darkness is a British television drama serial, produced by BBC Television in association with Lionheart Television International and originally broadcast in six fifty-five minute episodes in late 1985. A mixture of crime drama and political thriller, it revolves around the efforts of policeman Ronald Craven (played by Bob Peck) to unravel the truth behind the brutal killing of his daughter Emma (played by Joanne Whalley). Craven's investigations soon lead him into a murky world of government and corporate cover-ups and nuclear espionage, pitting him against dark forces that threaten the future of life on Earth.

Writer Troy Kennedy Martin was greatly influenced by the political climate of the time – particularly the Thatcher administration, perceived by many on the left as reactionary, and the aura of secrecy surrounding the nuclear industry – and by the implications of the Gaia hypothesis of environmentalist James Lovelock, crafting a thriller that mingled real world concerns with mythic and mystical elements. Kennedy Martin's original ending was more fantastic than that eventually used in the finished serial, proposing that Craven would turn into a tree but this was vetoed by other members of the cast and crew.

First broadcast on BBC2, Edge of Darkness was met with such widespread critical acclaim that within days it had earned a repeat on BBC1. Winner of several prestigious awards, it remains highly regarded to this day, often cited as one of the best and most influential pieces of British television drama ever made. The series' director, Martin Campbell is filming a remake for release in 2010, starring Mel Gibson.

Plot

One: "Compassionate Leave"

On a rainy night, Yorkshire police officer Ronald Craven (Bob Peck) and his daughter Emma (Joanne Whalley), a scientist and environmental activist, are confronted by man with a shotgun just outside of Craven's home. The gunman fatally shoots Emma with both barrels, and then escapes. Craven's colleagues believe that "Ronnie" was the target - the killer one of Craven's past prisoners seeking revenge - Emma just getting in the way. Going through Emma's belongings, Craven discovers a geiger counter and a gun - the gun clearly registering on the geiger counter, and also a lock of hair clipped by the pathologist. He also finds a radiation badge marked "IIF" - International Irradiated Fuels, LTD., a British company chartered to store radioactive waste at a low level radioactive waste facility known as "Northmoor". Emma's body and her possessions are also radioactive. Craven has almost immediately begun experiencing visions of his daughter. It is not clear if she is a ghost or a product of his imagination. Convincing his boss that the killer will end up heading for London, Craven heads for the city. There, he is contacted by Pendleton (Charles Kay), a polished official “attached to the Prime Minister's office,” who informs him that Emma was known to the government as a terrorist and that it may have been she, not Craven, who was the gunman's target. Pendelton later receives a visit from CIA agent Darius Jedburgh (Joe Don Baker), an associate who is also aware of Emma's activities.

Two: "Into the Shadows"

Following the investigation in London, Craven has more intense visions of Emma to which he voices his frustration. The fingerprints on the getaway car used by Emma's killer match that of Lowe, a man Craven arrested ten years earlier. Meanwhile, Pendleton introduces Craven to his colleague, Harcourt (Ian McNeice), who informs him that Emma was a member of a subversive anti-nuclear group called GAIA. A team of six GAIA members, led by Emma, had broken into Northmoor on May 8, 1985; all are now either dead or missing. Seeing Craven make a televised appeal for information about Emma's killer, Jedburgh contacts him, and shows Craven the CIA's file on Emma's activities. The file describes how GAIA and the CIA became suspicious of Northmoor when a nearby reservoir had become contaminated with radioactive material, leading them to believe Northmoor was illegally storing plutonium. Jedburgh is played as a hard-bitten professional with a wry sense of humour and a passion for golf. Along with Harcourt and Pendleton, he is keen to find the source and purpose of the plutonium, but there are signs that he has his own plans for Northmoor.

Three: "Burden of Proof"

The police close in on their suspect, Lowe (Roy Heather). Although successfully apprehended, Lowe manages to break free, jumping from the window of his building. Dying of his injuries, Lowe tells Craven he was working with McCroon, a terrorist Craven had convicted in Northern Ireland - strengthening the official theory that Ronnie had been the target. Craven meets Emma's boyfriend, Terry "Tell" Shields (Tim McInnerny), a political agitator who is clearly under surveillance. Shields - more a socialist than environmentalist - tells Craven that Emma was investigating a hot cell in Northmoor; Shields is later killed - as is the occupant of a van that had been surveilling his home. Craven meets Harcourt and Pendleton at the House of Commons where an inquiry is taking place into the sale of IIF to "The Fusion Corporation of Kansas", owned by Jerry Grogan (Kenneth Nelson). Pendleton tells Craven that he believes Grogan was behind Emma's death. Craven refuses to testify in the IIF inquiry, but his presence there clearly unsettles Robert Bennet, IIF's managing director. Outside of the hearings, Craven is introduced to Clementine (Zoe Wanamaker), a friend of Jedburgh's. It is "Clemmy" who informs an incredulous Craven that Jedburgh created GAIA. Jedburgh confronts Grogan, warning him to stay out of Northmoor. It is clear both men know each other on hostile terms. Returning to Yorkshire for Emma's funeral, Craven is refused permission to seek a warrant to enter Northmoor - his superiors stubbornly adhere to the theory that Emma was killed by Lowe and McCroon, and suspect Craven of cracking. Returning home, Craven is observed by McCroon (Sean Caffrey).

Four: "Breakthrough"

McCroon, as Craven had expected, breaks into Craven's house intent on killing him. McCroon, with a shotgun to Craven's head, admits killing Emma while trying to kill Craven. Much like Craven's superiors, McCroon insists the guilt is his own - revenge for Craven's work with informers in Northern Ireland. Craven appears unafraid, certain he can get McCroon to tell him who he is working for but McCroon is shot by a police marksman before he can say anything. Craven is briefly hospitalized when he suffers a breakdown, but he is soon released. Returning home, he finds a list of train stations written by Emma - possibly directions for breaking into Northmoor. Meanwhile, Harcourt and Pendelton investigate the recovery of a woman's body from a resevoir near Northmoor. Though the cause of death was drowning, the body is irradiated. A pathologist will later testify that the body shows signs of having been in proximity to concentrated fissile material, of the kind found in a reprocessing plant, and that this coincided with an exposure to a "criticallity accident". With the help of a colleague, Craven gains access to a terminal connected to the MI5 computer. He checks the MI5 records for GAIA, Northmoor and Emma and learns that McCroon was acting on the orders of Northmoor Security. He also obtains a three-dimensional map of Northmoor from the computer, and narrowly avoids arrest with Clemmy's help when Police investigate the security breach. Craven also confronts Godbolt, a mining union functionary who wilts when Craven tells him of his investigations. Godbolt, knowing that disclosure of Northmoor will ruin him, confesses his role in IIF and Emma's death, and the origins of Northmoor. Craven reunites with Jedburgh - who is just returning from a mission in El Salvador - and the two talk about Jedburgh's role in creating GAIA, and Craven's plans to break into Northmoor.

Five: "Northmoor"

Over breakfast, Grogan informs Bennet of Jedburgh's planned break in to Northmoor. With the help of Godbolt, Craven and Jedburgh penetrate Northmoor through the old mines. Tipped off, IIF security try to flood the tunnels - but this requires gallons of water needed to keep their stocks of plutonium safe. Surviving the floods, Jedburgh and Craven proceed to Northmoor - on the way, they stumble on the horribly irradiated bodies of the GAIA team. Reaching the "hot cell", which sends Craven's geiger counter into a frenzy, the two find the signs of an horrific radiation accident - with the bodies of fatally irradiated personnel still lying where they died. Jedburgh, under orders from the CIA, enters the hot cell and steals the plutonium. As the two escape the hot cell and flee from IIF security forces, Jedburgh gives Ronnie some of the plutonium as evidence, then orders Craven to split from him. Craven - having been warned by Godbolt to stay on his guard about Jedburgh - wants to know what the CIA man intends to do with the rest of the plutonium. Jedburgh reiterates his orders at gun point, and the two split off. Craven flees for a bunker - a disused nuclear weapons fire control site. Feeling the effects of the radiation, and with the IIF forces flooding the bunker with gas, Craven desperately seeks out a working phone - the only one he can find dials directly to 10 Downing Street. A bemused security guard at answers the call as Craven screams "Get me Pendelton!" At the House of Commons inquiry, IIF chief executive Robert Bennett (Hugh Fraser) is forced to admit the presence of plutonium at Northmoor and the deaths of the GAIA team. He informed neither the police nor the civilian nuclear regulatory authorities of this - in violation of regulations and IIF's charter - because the plutonium belonged to the Ministry of Defense.

Six: "Fusion"

Craven wakes up in a hospital on an American Air Force base - showing signs of massive radiation poisoning. Jedburgh hasn't been found, and Craven can't tell them where to look. The Americans are searching for Jedburgh as well - but he kills at least 4 agents sent to get him. In Scotland, Jedburgh is also suffering from radiation poisoning, and may be becoming delusional. Rather than golf, Jedburgh's plans in Scotland involve an appearance at a NATO conference on directed energy weapons held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland. Also present at the conference is Grogan who arrives with the news that the British government has approved the purchase of IIF. Before a roused audience, Grogan delivers a coldly passionate address on the power of fusion, invoking the spirit of historic explorers and boldly proclaiming man's destiny to become a "celestial warrior" and establish a "solar empire". The audience of military and civilian officials applauds but Jedburgh, in U.S. Army uniform, takes the podium to denounce Grogan's vision for a nuclear state. Finishing his speech, he gleefully reveals two bars of the plutonium stolen from Northmoor, yelling "Get it while it's hot". The audience, bemused at first, breaks into a panic and flees the room. With only Grogan left, Jedburgh brings together the two bars, causing a criticality accident and irradiating Grogan.

With Clemmy's car, Craven drives to Scotland. His sickness worsening, Craven stops near a stream, where Emma appears. She tells Craven of a time in Earth's distant and frigid past when black flowers grew, warming the Earth and preventing life from becoming extinct. These same black flowers have returned, she says, to save Earth from its latest enemy - mankind. Once the flowers have spread, the absorbed heat will melt the polar icecaps, washing mankind away. Tracking Jedburgh down to a remote country house, Craven learns that the American has weaponized the remaining plutonium. Unbeknownst to both men, a hit squad is nearing the house. Among other things, they carry a coffin shaped box carrying radiation warning labels. Inside the house, the pair have a final rambling conversation - touching the appearance of the black flower, the song "Time of the Preacher" and the likely victor in the battles of good and evil, and between Earth and mankind; Jedburgh is convinced that mankind will find a way to survive, but Craven doubts this, and declares that if it comes to war between mankind and the planet he's on the side of the planet. Jedburgh, expecting the assassins, leaves Craven when they break into the house, determined to get as many as he can, ultimately falling to their bullets; Craven clearly expects them to kill him too, but they spare him, the squad leader pointing out that he's "on our side". Outraged, Craven bellows "I am not on your side!" as they leave.[1]

In the final scene, Pendleton and Harcourt observe IIF's retrieval of the plutonium from a nearby loch, where Jedburgh had hidden it. A voiceover by Harcourt, in the form of a letter to Clemmy concerning the events, reveals that Grogan is also dying from the radiation exposure he received at the hotel. Pendleton and Harcourt spot Craven watching the retrieval operation from a nearby hill. Harcourt laments his inability to comfort Craven, reassure him that Gaia will be safe and that good will triumph over evil - knowing that Craven simply wouldn't believe it. As he watches the recovery team leave the area, and knowing his life is at an end, Craven wails Emma's name one last time.

Time passes. The waves lap against a nameless shore over nights and days. The camera pans against the side of snow covered hill where black flowers bloom, harbingers of Gaia's coming war against mankind.

Cast

Ronald Craven was played by Bob Peck, an actor who was well known in theatre but, at the time he was cast as Craven, had appeared in only minor roles on television. In creating the role of Craven, Peck drew upon his experience gained from the two years he played the title role in Macbeth for the Royal Shakespeare Company.[2] Notable roles after Edge of Darkness included On the Black Hill (1987), Slipstream (1989), Natural Lies (1992) and Jurassic Park (1993). He died in 1999.[3]

Joanne Whalley, who played Emma Craven, began acting during childhood, appearing in the long-running soap opera Coronation Street (1960 - present) in 1976 at the age of 10. She had also appeared in supporting roles in several series including Juliet Bravo (1980 - 1985), Bergerac (1981 - 1991) and Reilly, Ace of Spies (1983). Following Edge of Darkness, Whalley was cast in the equally well regarded BBC television serial The Singing Detective (1986), written by Dennis Potter. Moving to Hollywood, she appeared in such films as Willow (1988), Scandal (1989) and Shattered (1991) as well as television mini-series such as Scarlett (1994) and Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (2000). During her eight year marriage to the actor Val Kilmer, between 1988 and 1996, she was often credited as Joanne Whalley-Kilmer.[4]

Cast as Darius Jedburgh was Joe Don Baker, who had been acting since the nineteen-sixties and was known for his roles in Westerns such as Gunsmoke (1955 - 1975) and as the lead in the detective series Eischied (1979 – 1980). He also starred as Sherriff Buford Pusser in the original 1972 film Walking Tall. The script of Edge of Darkness so impressed him that he agreed to take the part at lower than his usual fee.[5] He was later cast, by Edge of Darkness director Martin Campbell, as CIA agent Jack Wade in the James Bond film Goldeneye (1995), a role he reprised in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997).[6]

Charles Kay, who played Pendleton, was a well established character actor who had appeared in Fall of Eagles (1974), I, Claudius (1976) and The Devil's Crown (1978). He has since acted in many television productions such as Fortunes of War (1989), The Darling Buds of May (1991 - 1993), Jonathan Creek (1997 - 2004) and Midsomer Murders (1997 - present).[7]

Edge of Darkness was an early role for Ian McNeice, who played Harcourt. He went on to act in a wide variety of film and television parts including The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (1995), Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995) and Frank Herbert's Dune (2000) as well as regular roles in Doc Martin (2004 - present) and Rome (2005 - 2007).[8]

Several other familiar faces to British viewers appeared during the course of the episodes, including John Woodvine (as Craven's superior DCS Ross), Tim McInnerny (as Emma's boyfriend Terry Shields), Hugh Fraser (as IIF chief executive Robert Bennett), Zoë Wanamaker (as intelligence agent Clementine) and Blakes 7 cast members David Jackson (as Colonel Lawson) and Brian Croucher (as Northmoor security chief Connors). Playing themselves were television reporters Sue Cook and Kenneth Kendall, weatherman Bill Giles and Labour MP Michael Meacher.

Motorola MOTOROI Available Stateside

2010-01-25T17:03:00.000-08:00

Motorola is ready to launch the MOTOROI in the US market in March 2010 via Verizon Wireless. For your info, the handset comes jam packed with a full touchscreen display, a 3.7-inch LCD display, 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS support, an 8-megapixel camera and a 720p video playback via HDMI out. Additionally, the phone has an 8GB of internal memory, which is expandable via a microSDHC memory card slot.

Less than one day ago we reported that the new Motorola
Motoroi would be headed to SK Telecom as the first Android 2.0 device in Korea. Today, we're learning that it will be landing here in the US sometime in March. This news will be welcomed by those of you who dig the "hip" on the side and like the shiny touch-only smart phone.

Sony Ericsson Vivaz (Kurara U5) Gets Official

2010-01-25T16:58:00.000-08:00

The much awaited Sony Ericsson Vivaz (aka Kurara U5) is finally official. This high-end smartphone is likely to be released in the next few months, however, the price remains unknown at the moment. To refresh your memory, the Vivaz boasts a 3.5-inch full touchscreen display, an 8.1MP autofocus camera, GPS, WiFi, HSDPA, HD video recording (720p), a 3.5mm headset jack and runs on the Symbian S60 operating system.

We don’t know when Sony Ericsson intended to announce the Sony Ericsson Kurara U5, but the smartphone has just been fully unveiled (with press shots and even a video preview), so it’s safe to say that it’s now official. The website that published all the info available below has almost immediately retracted the article, but the photos and details live on.

First of all, the new handset has been renamed – it’s called Sony Ericsson Vivaz. However, it’s got everything we’ve expected it to have since it was known as Kurara.

The Vivaz run Symbian touch and comes with a 640 x 360 pixels display, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3.5mm headset jack, and an 8.1MP autofocus camera with LED flash and HD 720p video recording.

There will be no less than four color versions of the smartphone: Cosmic Black, Silver Moon, Venus Ruby and Galaxy Blue.

Pantech’s New Sky IM-U560K For Girls

2010-01-25T16:53:00.000-08:00

Pantech comes back with their latest cell phone that is specially designed for girls. The Sky IM-U560K boasts a touchscreen display with an accelerometer allowing you to enjoy different games and application, as well as being able to completely manipulate its GUI via hand gestures and movements. In addition, the Sky IM-U560K comes jam packed with a 2.6-inch screen, a DMB TV tuner, an MP3 player, and a Korean to English TTS (Text to Speech) Translator. No info on pricing so far.

The Korean manufacturer Pantech released this morning the IM-U560K available on the Sky network over there. Our Cute little phone is targeting Korean women with its pastel colors and features. Thanks to its touch screen and accelerometer you will be able to enjoy different games and application, as well as being able to completely manipulate its GUI via gesture and movement (Shake, twist) this without the needs to use its keyboard.

Our IM-U560K features a 2.6” screen, a DMB TV tuner, a Photo and Video mode, as well as an MP3 player and a Korean to English TTS (Text to Speech) Translator.

DOCOMO Will Launch Xperia X10 In Japan

2010-01-25T16:47:00.000-08:00

NTT DoCoMo has decided to launch the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 in the Japanese market this April. Powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, the Xperia X10 has a 4.0-inch touchscreen capacitive display with WVGA (800×480) resolution, an 8-megapixel shooter with Autofocus, LED flash, image stabilizers, smile and face detection, Bluetooth 2.1 and WiFi b/g. The smartphone is also compatible with FOMA HIGH-SPEED, DOCOMO’s HSUPA/HSDPA data-communication service for extra-fast 2.0 Mbps uplinks and 7.2 Mbps downlinks.

Japanese wireless provider NTT DoCoMo on Thursday announced it will sell the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 in its home market. The device will be known as the docomo Smartphone Xperia and share the same 1GHz CPU, 4-inch touchscreen and Android operating system as the X10. An 8.1-megapixel camera will be part of the specs, as will Wi-Fi. Access to the Android Market will also be available.

It will additionally sport the Mediascape application from Sony Ericsson that organizes music, photos and videos. A new "infinite button," when pressed while a song is playing, will trigger an in-phone and online search of all content related to the artist. The Smartphone Xperia will access data using the FOMA high-speed HSUPA/HSDPA network for 2Mbps upload and 7.2Mbps download speeds.

A face recognition feature will tag individuals in photos if they have a preloaded picture saved in the contacts section.

NTT DoCoMo will launch the handset in April, along with a devoted docomo market for smartphone users, though pricing has not been announced.

The move is a first, as most Sony Ericsson phones sold internationally, especially smartphones, are not traditionally offered in Japan.

Sony Ericsson Vivaz Demo Video

2010-01-25T16:43:00.000-08:00

Here’s a demo video of the upcoming Sony Ericsson Vivaz that we found over at YouTube. As a reminder, this new smartphone offers a 3.5-inch full touchscreen display, an 8.1MP autofocus camera, GPS, WiFi, HSDPA, HD video recording (720p), a 3.5mm headset jack and runs on the Symbian S60 operating system. Watch the video after the break.

Sony Ericsson has come up with a new phone that could be at par with other smartphones from BlackBerry, LG, Nokia and Apple; the SE Vivaz Symbian smartphone is touted as mix-up of its Walkman, Cybershot and messaging phones.

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Vivaz – Sony Ericsson’s new smartphone with 720 P HD video recording
2010 January 25
tags: mobile-phones, smartphones, Sony-Ericsson
by jhay | with 118 views
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Sony Ericsson has come up with a new phone that could be at par with other smartphones from BlackBerry, LG, Nokia and Apple; the SE Vivaz Symbian smartphone is touted as mix-up of its Walkman, Cybershot and messaging phones.

It sports the following specs:

* 107.0 x 52.0 x 12.5 mm size
* Symbian (S60, 5th Edition) OS device
* weighs 97 g
* 720P HD video recording capability
* 16 million color, 3.2 inch Intuitive touchscreen (16:9, 640×360)
* 8.1 megapixel sensor, 4x digital zoom camera with auto focus and continuous auto focus for video, and face detection for photos.
* 75MB of phone memory (up to 16 GB of extendable memory with MicroSD Card)
* Has apps for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google Maps and 3D games
* GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, TV out and FM radio

It will be available this Q1 of 2010 and comes in in 4 colors: Cosmic Black, Moon Silver, Galaxy Blue, Venus Ruby. Doesn’t the look and shape remind you of a BlackBerry? Prices would soon be announced. Now I have another gadget to add on my wishlist.

Skyfire 1.5 For Symbian S60 3rd And 5th Edition

2010-01-25T16:30:00.000-08:00

The Skyfire 1.5 mobile web browser for Symbian S60 3rd and 5th edition is now available for download. The new version provides a user interface improvement for full touchscreen device, smooth scrolling and performance tweak for better performance.

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Skyfire announced on Wednesday the release of a new version of their browser, the Skyfire 1.5 for Nokia Symbian S60 devices. This is the first flavor of the application that comes around with support for S60 5 Edition phones, the newest Nokia handsets that sport a touchscreen display, and it comes with a series of enhancements that make it fit for the job, including finger-friendly interfaces.

According to the company, the new release of Skyfire now includes faster browsing capabilities, while also sporting improved interfaces for all users. Skyfire 1.5 comes with all the unique Skyfire benefits that already made it one of the most popular solutions in mobile browsing, and now the browser is available for “the full set of the most popular smartphones in the world, the Nokia N and E series,” as the company notes.

The features list of Skyfire 1.5 for Symbian S60 3rd edition includes smooth scrolling, as the scroll operations have been designed to be more fluid, updated user interface, and a series of performance tweaks, made via a series of small enhancements that should result in a more robust and a faster browsing experience.

As for Skyfire 1.5 for Symbian S60 5th edition (Beta), it includes:
- Finger friendly UI: A new, intuitive, and finger friendly UI for high resolution touchscreen devices provides an easier browsing experience.
- Smooth Scrolling: Kinetic scrolling has been enabled to Skyfire. Pan or flick the screen to move in any direction smoothly on touchscreen.
- Full screen mode: For touchscreen, browse in full screen mode for maximum screen real estate. Bring the controls back by clicking on the corner icon at any time.
- Auto-Rotate: Browse in portrait or landscape mode with a simple change of the device orientation.

Those of you who would like to learn a few more details on the new Skyfire 1.5 for Symbian S60 3rd and 5th Edition should take a look at the video below for that. We should also mention that, even if the world can now enjoy the mobile browser for free, it is unavailable for Symbian and Windows Mobile users in China, though this is only a temporary state of facts.

For those of you who might not be familiar with the features Skyfire comes around with, we can count:
- “Full web” mobile browser: The only mobile web browser to support all the rich media on the web for a PC-like web browsing experience.
- Browse any page: Browse your favorite websites on Skyfire exactly like you do on your PC. No compromises! We’re the only mobile browser to support all major Web 2.0 standards - Ajax, JavaScript, Flash 10 - it just works.
- Watch any video: Skyfire is the only mobile browser that gives access to the full media experience on the internet by supporting Flash 10, Silverlight 3.0 and Windows Media. Catch up on the freshest sports commentary, celebrity gossip or TV on your phone!
- Share instantly: Easily share what you find on the web or what you are up to. Post web pages and status updates to Facebook and Twitter, with one click!
- Stay connected: Check your Gmail, follow your friends’ Facebook and Twitter updates, and keep track of news, sports, video and other content in your own customizable activity feed.
- Blazing fast: Skyfire fires up fast and web pages load quickly. Skyfire is the fastest mobile browser available in market.

Alltel Sells BlackBerry Curve 8530

2010-01-24T17:18:00.000-08:00

Alltel has started selling the BlackBerry Curve 8530. The carrier sells the phone for $49.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with activation of a 1-year service contract and qualifying Smart Choice Pack. Smart Choice Packs start as low as $69.99 per month and include unlimited data, email and Web access. As a reminder, the BlackBerry Curve 8530 features a large full QWERTY keyboard, a trackpad for easy navigation and dedicated media keys that are smoothly integrated along the top of the handset, giving customers an easy, convenient way to control their music and videos. Additional features include a built-in GPS with BlackBerry Maps and a geo-tagging functionality, Stereo Bluetooth support, HTML web browsing, a 256MB of internal flash memory, a 2MP camera with digital zoom and video recording and expandable storage memory via microSD/SDHC slot supporting up to 32GB.

Sprint has just announced the availability of BlackBerry Curve 8530 on its network. The handset is sold for only $49.99 on contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate. To refresh your memory, the 8530 offers a 2.46-inch QVGA display, a 2MP camera, a full QWERTY keyboard, a trackpad, a microSD card slot, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, a 3.5mm headset jack and provides access to BlackBerry App World, Facebook and MySpace integration.

Alltel has started selling the BlackBerry Curve 8530. The carrier sells the phone for $49.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with activation of a 1-year service contract and qualifying Smart Choice Pack. Smart Choice Packs start as low as $69.99 per month and include unlimited data, email and Web access.

The BlackBerry Curve 8530 is a new addition to the popular BlackBerry Curve series and an incredibly approachable smartphone. For people who like to be connected, it provides easy mobile access to email, messaging (IM, SMS, MMS) and popular social networking sites (including Facebook® and MySpace) and features a highly tactile full-QWERTY keyboard for comfortable, accurate typing. It features rich multimedia capabilities and access to music, games and other mobile apps for entertainment on the go. The smartphone is also Wi-Fi® enabled, giving customers two ways to connect to the Internet – through Alltel’s fast 3G wireless network or through any available Wi-Fi hotspot. When connected on Wi-Fi, multi-taskers can receive email and messages or browse the Internet while simultaneously speaking on the phone.

“Alltel takes pride in bringing the most advanced and versatile handsets to our customers so they can experience the world around them,” said Paul Bowersock, Senior Sales & Operations Leader for the Alltel Divesture Trust. “If you’re looking for a smartphone that has advanced capabilities for both business and personal use, the BlackBerry Curve 8530 will help you make the most of every moment.”

The BlackBerry Curve 8530 features a large full QWERTY keyboard, a trackpad for easy navigation and dedicated media keys that are smoothly integrated along the top of the handset, giving customers an easy, convenient way to control their music and videos. The smartphone also includes built-in GPS with BlackBerry® Maps and geo-tagging functionality, Stereo Bluetooth® support, HTML web browsing, 256MB of internal flash memory, a 2 MP camera with digital zoom and video recording* and expandable storage memory via microSD™/SDHC slot supporting up to 32 GB.

“More and more mobile phone users are choosing to upgrade to a smartphone and the new BlackBerry Curve 8530 will undoubtedly convince many more Alltel customers to make the switch. It is a great new addition to the BlackBerry Curve series and delivers all the great messaging, social networking and multimedia features that customers have come to love about BlackBerry smartphones,” said Carlo Chiarello, Vice President, Product Management, Research In Motion.

The BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone is available now at Alltel retail stores and online at shopalltel.com for $49.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with activation of a 1-year service contract and qualifying Smart Choice Pack. Smart Choice Packs start as low as $69.99 per month and include unlimited data, email and Web access. Alltel is the only major wireless carrier to offer 2-year postpaid handset pricing to those signing 1-year contracts, creating enhanced flexibility and greater choice for customers.

The BlackBerry Curve 8530 from Alltel and 1-year contract option is available only to customers in the 91 cellular market areas (CMAs) that Verizon Wireless is required to divest, which will continue to operate as Alltel Wireless until the sale agreements with AT&T and Atlantic Tele-Network are approved by the Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission. For more information concerning the sale of the divested markets, consumers can visit and log on to www.alltel.com, and go to the Customer Q&A section. To find out more information about the BlackBerry Curve 8530,

Another Dual SIM Phone From LG

2010-01-24T17:14:00.000-08:00

LG is preparing to launch another dual SIM phone for both Asian and South American markets. Called the LG GX200, this candybar phone has a 2-inch 128 x 160 display, a 1.3MP built-in camera, dual SIM card slots, a microSD card slot, a music player, an FM radio, WiFi, Bluetooth and a 1,500 mAh battery. The LG GX200 will retail for less than $200.

В сеть проникла информация о мобильном телефоне, который сейчас готовит к выпуску компания LG Electronics. LG GX200 - это бюджетный аппарат, выполненный в стиле классического моноблока с цифровой клавиатурой. О нем, кстати, было упоминание в роадмапе LG в прошлом году. Сообщается, что телефон предназначен для развивающихся рынков, таких как Азия и Южная Америка. Но кроме обычного комплекта характеристик начального уровня у LG GX200 имеется одна особенность - он поддерживает сразу две SIM-карты. Учитывая популярность подобных решений на российском рынке, возможно, компания решит выпустить данную модель и в нашей стране.

LG GX200 работает только в сотовых сетях второго поколения GSM (4 диапазона), поддержки 3G не предусмотрено. Фотокамера у телефона простенькая - 1,3-Мп. Также имеется FM-радио, музыкальный плеер, диктофон, microSD-слот и поддержка интерфейса Bluetooth 2.0 и протокола WAP 2.0. Преимуществом устройства можно считать емкую батарею на 1500 мАч. А внешний вид LG GX200 помогут разнообразить сменные аккумуляторные панели. Пока не известны точные сроки выпуска и стоимость телефона, предположительно, она может составить менее $200.

SciPhone N19 Android Smartphone

2010-01-24T17:09:00.000-08:00

The SciPhone N19 is claimed to be the cheapest Android smartphone in the world. The phone comes jam packed with a 2.8-inch touchscreen display, WiFi, Quadband, Bluetooth, a 2 megapixel camera, a microSD slot and a 128MB of RAM. It is priced at just $135.00 unlocked (including a 1GB memory card).

The N19 is the cheapest Android smart phone in the market. You can expect the phone to have an exceptional list of features and specs to illustrate the power of Android, Google's new open source mobile operating system. N19 puts even more features at your fingertips. And it combines three products in one _ a revolutionary phone, a mobile PC, and a breakthrough Internet device. N19, It redefines what a mobile phone can do _ again.

N19 has the most revolutionary user interface, the most advanced software ever engineered, and true state-of-the-art technology that will change the way you think about a mobile device.

Hot spots:
*Operating system: Google Android OS
*Processor Samsung S3C2448 400Mhz
*Memory: ROM 128M RAM 128M
*WiFi: IEEE 802.11b/11g
*Dimensions: 57*106.5*14.4mm
*Mode: GSM900/DCS1800 GPRS Class 10
*Screen: 2.8 inch TFT with QVGA(320*240)
*Camera: 2.0M pixel
*Bluetooth: Ver. 2.0
*Battery: 1200 mAh
*Standby Time 300 hours, Talk Time 4 hours
* Extended Storage: T flash, up to 8GB
* Google Search, Web Browser, Push Mail, I Tweet, IM(Yahoo, MSN, Google Talk, Jabber, ICQ, MySpace), Doc Viewer, PDF Viewer

Packing: 1pcs per box
Model NO.: N19
Standard: GSM900/1800
Productivity: 10000pcs/month
Unit Price/Payment: FOB Shenzhen USD 138/pcs
Trademark: sciphone
Origin: china
Min. Order: 20pcs
Transportation: UPS, EMS, TNT, DHL
Technology: Dual-band
Style: Smart Mobile Phone
Camera Pixel: 200W-300W
Display Color: 65k Color
Design: Bar

Item： N19
Brand： SciPhone
Unit： PCS
Weight： 0.800 kg
Features： WiFi | Bluetooth 2.0 | 2.8 inch LCD with touch screen|
List Price： $300.00
Price： $135.00 Save:$165.00

Garmin-Asus Nuvifone M10 Available For Pre-Order In Taiwan

2010-01-24T17:01:00.000-08:00

Garmin-Asus has begun taking pre-orders for their upcoming smartphone ‘Nuvifone M10′ in Taiwan. This new handset will run on Windows Mobile 6.5.3 operating system and feature a 3.5-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen display, a Qualcomm 7227 600MHz processor, a 5MP camera, a 512MB RAM, a 512MB ROM, a 4GB of internal memory, a microSD card slot (up to 32GB), GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a 1500 mAh battery. The Nuvifone M10 retails for 13,900 Taiwanese dollars (about $435).
Details of the Garmin-Asus Nuvifone M10, running Windows Mobile 6.5.3, have been spotted on a Taiwanese pre-order page. The device is due to appear next month at Mobile World Congress, but the latest also points to a Feb. 6 launch for folks in Taiwan. The M10 is powered by a Qualcomm MSM 7227 (600MHz) processor, sports a 3.5” WVGA resistive display, and has 512MB of RAM/ROM. It also has a 5MP camera, MicroSD card slot, and, of course, comes preloaded with Garmin’s navigation software. Additionally, it will be packaged with either a spare 1,500 mAh battery or an in-car docking station. Pricing will be 13,900 TWD, roughly $435 USD. The Sony Ericsson Faith and Toshiba TG01 have also been caught running Windows Mobile 6.5.3.

Golden Bumblebee – The World’s Smallest Slider Phone

2010-01-24T16:51:00.000-08:00

The Golden Bumblebee from KIRF S.T. Dupont is claimed to be the “world’s smallest slider phone”. The phone comes jam packed with a 2-megapixel camera, a stereo speaker, an FM radio, a mini-USB port, Bluetooth and a huge 8GB memory. You can purchase this slider phone for $179.99. Video after the jump.
Poor Bumblebee! This is one transformation that he and his metallic chums wouldn't be proud of -- it's even got the Autobot logo on the back, presumably without permission. We're looking at the Golden Bumblebee which boldly claims to be the "world's smallest slider phone," but with that KIRF S.T. Dupont label, hint of Vertu's DNA and faux gold paint, we're not sure if it's even legal to be stoked about this. Leaving appearance aside the phone packs quadband 2G, a 2 megapixel camera, stereo speaker, FM radio, mini-USB port, Bluetooth and a whopping 8GB memory. If you can bear the humiliation then it's yours for $179.99 -- if not, see if the promotion video after the break can convince you.

Play Monster Hunter Freedom 2

2010-01-22T20:43:00.000-08:00

Monster Hunter Freedom 2 is a PlayStation Portable video game and sequel to Monster Hunter Freedom, largely based on its PlayStation 2 predecessor Monster Hunter 2, which was never released outside of Japan. Monster Hunter Freedom 2 is not a direct port of Monster Hunter 2 but instead a portable update of the Monster Hunter series. New features have been added while others were removed to make the game appropriate for its portable platform. It was released in North America on August 29, 2007. Its Japanese counterpart is called Monster Hunter Portable 2nd (モンスターハンターポータブル 2nd, monsutā hantā pōtaburu 2nd?).

Gameplay

Most Missions/Quests in Monster Hunter Freedom 2 involve killing one or two 'Boss' class monsters. Smaller missions at the beginning will involve gathering items and killing small creatures.

Missions are generally divided into three difficulty levels: those from the Village Chief, known as 'Elder' quests; those for a lower Hunter Rank (HR3 or lower)from the Guild; those for hunters who have obtained higher Hunter Ranks (HR4 or above), also from the Guild, and lastly there are Treasure hunting Quests given by Treshi the Treasure Hunter. Hunters can always accept missions that are available for the same or lower Hunter Rank, but cannot take missions or join missions initiated by other higher Ranked players, unless they have the required Hunter Rank (i.e. if an HR5 player initiates a quest requiring an HR of 4, HRs 4, 5 and 6 may join while HRs 1, 2 and 3 may not). There are also quests offered by the village's Training School. Quests offered by the Training school require no items or equipment; pre-made equipment and item sets are supplied. Treasure hunting quests are gathering quests with rare items that you cannot keep but are awarded points to add to your ending score, which you are rewarded for.

The missions (or quests) that are taken from the Village Elder are missions specific to single player, so they are also sometimes considered "lower" rank missions. Monsters inside this mission are weakened in terms of their hit points to suit a single hunter mission, but they only offer basic materials that can only create weapons of lower rarity.

Lower Hunter Rank missions from the guild offers the same materials as Elder missions, but they allow up to 4 Hunters via ad-hoc play or XLink Kai. Monsters have slightly increased hit points in this type of quest.

Higher Hunter Rank missions are considered the most difficult in the game, and are the equivalent of 'G' rank missions in Monster Hunter Freedom and Monster Hunter G. Besides considerable hitpoint increases, monsters have greatly increased damage and can feature new attack moves, making them harder to defeat. Many of the rarest materials can only be found in this type of quest. These rare materials can be used to create rare and powerful equipment that can kill monsters easier,but in return you will start in a random area and supplies will not be delivered until the battle is nearly done

Downloadable quests often provide special materials that can create bonus equipment that cannot be created otherwise.

Weapons

Monster Hunter Freedom 2 has the same types of weapons from Monster Hunter Freedom, with an additional four new weapons for the Freedom series, which are: Long Sword, Gunlance, Hunting Horn, and the Bow. Each weapon class has its own unique feel to it, each one completely different from the other. Each weapon class has around 40 to 50 different weapons ranging from 1-8 rarity, 8 being the highest. All weapons have a certain amount of raw damage that does a set amount of damage depending on how high the raw damage is. Another characteristic that attributes to the amount of damage done is sharpness. Sharpness has many levels, with red being the worst and white being the best. (sharpness from worst to best: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, white)Many weapons have elements that do more damage to some monsters and less to others. These elements include fire, water, ice, thunder, and dragon. Other weapons have secondary elements, which include poison, sleep, and paralysis.

Play Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days

2010-01-22T20:28:00.000-08:00

Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories (魔界戦記ディスガイア2, Makai Senki Disugaia Tsū?, lit. "Netherworld Battle Chronicle: Disgaea 2") is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Nippon Ichi Software for the PlayStation 2 video game console. Disgaea 2 is the sequel to 2003's Disgaea: Hour of Darkness for the PlayStation 2 and was released in Japan on February 23, 2006 and North America on August 29, 2006. It is also the predecessor to Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice for the PlayStation 3.

Unlike Nippon Ichi's previous games, Disgaea 2 is on DVD-ROM and has an animated opening movie.

It was re-released for the PlayStation Portable as Disgaea 2 Portable in Japan and as Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days in North America.

Gameplay

Disgaea 2 is divided into 13 chapters. Each chapter begins with cut scenes to explain Adell's next mission. Players then take control of Adell in his hometown of Holt. The town serves as a gateway to story maps, side quests, the dark council, and the item world. At the beginning of each chapter, a new area is unlocked. Each area consists of multiple maps which must be beaten to advance to the next chapter. Talking to the gatekeeper of Holt will give players the option of exploring the new area or repeating any maps that have been beaten. Many maps also have cut scenes. Scenes at the beginning and end of each chapter cannot be skipped.

The gameplay in Disgaea 2 builds directly upon that of Disgaea: Hour of Darkness; players control a party of characters to do battle on a 3D isometric grid map.

The Item World game mode returns from Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. Players can select any item in the party's inventory and enter it. The levels within are randomly generated, and the difficulty of enemies depends on the item's rarity or power. There are two ways to descend through the Item World: by defeating all enemies on a given level, or by using exit portals located somewhere on each level. Special enemies, called Guardians, can be freed by defeating them, imparting certain benefits to the item, such as increased attack or defense values. Once they are freed, they can be moved between items freely. The further a player descends through a given item's Item World, the higher the stat bonuses it will receive.

Characters

* Adell (アデル, Aderu?): The main character of Disgaea 2. Adell is the only human left on Veldime, and has been training for years to defeat Zenon and lift the curse. Courageous and determined, Adell dislikes women, demons and lies, and will never back down from any challenge or resort to dirty tactics. He is nice to those he cares about and will never ever break a promise. The reason Adell was not affected by Zenon curse is because he was born from a pure blood demon. Voice actor: Hikaru Midorikawa (JPN)/Shiloh Strong (US)

* Rozalin (ロザリンド, Rozarindo?): The only daughter of Overlord Zenon. Rozalin was summoned during a failed attempt by Adell's mother to summon Zenon. Due to the summoning contract placed on her, she is unable to leave Adell and must help him find Zenon. Rozalin is unaware of the world around her due to her pampered life, with her books being her sole source of information. Because of this, she has no battle experience and tries (and fails) to get Adell killed indirectly on several occasions. In addition, Adell's vow to bring her back to her father begins to make her think differently. Rozalin's true identity is that she is the actual Overlord Zenon even though she doesn't realize it herself. Voice actor: Yukari Tamura (JPN)/Wendee Lee (US)

* Taro (タロー, Tarō?): Adell's eleven-year old brother. He and his younger sister Hanako are demons, having been born after their parents were cursed. He starts to admire Rozalin soon after meeting her, and refers to her as 'Princess'. He is a little timid but also a little sarcastic. He is not as confident as the other characters, but he tries to help as much as he can. He is also commonly referred to as 'Tardo' (Taro-chan in the Japanese version) by his sister, Hanako. Voice actor: Hiro Shimono (JPN)/Wendee Lee (US)

* Hanako (ハナコ, Hanako?): Adell and Taro's younger sister. She is bothersome and very cocky, constantly wishing that Adell would take her with him when he goes out to fight. She has great culinary skill. She also uses her cooking pot as a weapon. She adores Etna and wants to be a Demon Lord like her one day, but also wants to be sexier than Etna. Voice actor: Kaori Mizuhashi (JPN)/ Stephanie Sheh (US)

* Tink (ティンク, Tinku?): A servant of Overlord Zenon and a childhood friend of Rozalin. After a mysterious person attacked Zenon's castle, he was transformed into a frog. Tink has two forms. In his normal blue form, he is usually very polite, yet very cowardly. On occasion, he will transform into his red form. In this form, he is lecherous and rude, known for causing trouble wherever he goes. Voice actor: Chihiro Suzuki (JPN)/Dave Wittenberg (US)

* Yukimaru (雪丸?): One of the surviving members of the Snow Clan. Yukimaru is a skilled ninja, at the age of twenty, looking to defeat Zenon and avenge the destruction of her clan. While she is skilled, she has little confidence in herself, and may try to commit suicide if she is unable to complete her mission. Yukimaru ends her sentences with the word zam (de gozaru in the Japanese version) as a way of storing ki. Voice actor: Kana Ueda (JPN) English voice actor: Lara Jill Miller

* Etna (エトナ, Etona?): The devious vassal from the first Disgaea. After a fight with Laharl, Etna resigned from her position as vassal and became a Demon Lord. She is now in Veldime alongside her infamous Prinny Squad in order to defeat Zenon and obtain the title of Overlord. She is as devious as ever, using Adell and Rozalin to get to Zenon before any other Overlord does. Voice actor: Tomoe Hanba (JPN)/ Michelle Ruff (US)

* Axel (アクターレ, Akutāre?): A demon who prides himself about once being popular. Axel was once a famous demon action hero and rock star known by many as the 'Dark Hero', a mastermind of evil. Unfortunately, he is now a reporter for a travel show called 'Tripping with Axel'. Despite this new role, Axel will occasionally try to add action scenes to the show, much to the director's dismay. In the Japanese version, Axel's name was originally Akutare (sometimes romanized as Octalley). In the North American version, Axel's band is actually named 'Akutare'. He never had a band in the Japanese version. Voice actor: Nobuyuki Hiyama (JPN)/Grant George (US)

* Fubuki (斧雪, Fubuki?): Yukimaru's brother. A mysterious ninja bent on defeating Zenon in order to avenge the Snow Clan. A skilled ninja in his own right, Fubuki is cold hearted and will do anything to destroy Zenon. Voice actor: Takehito Koyasu (JPN)/Kirk Thornton (US)

* Mom & Dad (ママ, Mama and パパ?, Papa): Adell, Taro, and Hanako's parents. Zenon's curse branded Mom with a third eye on her forehead, as well as a purple tail. Dad gained some sort of creature on his chest referred to as a "pimple", as well as gray skin, a horn on his head and longer than average arms. Mom is caring, although at the same time demented due to Zenon's curse affecting her mind. She is very skilled at summoning, though her recent attempt failed to summon Zenon. Dad is more pitiful in his new condition, but still very friendly and worries about everyone despite knowing that everyone but Adell is a demon. Voice actor: Eriko Hara (JPN), Rokuro Naya (JPN) Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (US)

* Zenon (ゼノン?): Feared as the God of All Overlords (魔王神, Maōshin?), who single-handedly defeated 99 rival Overlords in a single day and has killed over 1000 all together. Due to the numerous enemies looking to kill him, Zenon constantly hides. An Overlord known for his cruelty, Zenon is responsible for the curse on Veldime that turned its inhabitants into demons and the destruction of the Snow Clan. Rozalin, his daughter, is constantly spoiled by him. Voice actor: Norio Wakamoto (JPN)/Lex Lang (US)

* Masked Man & Masked Woman (仮面の男, Kamen no Otoko and 仮面の女?, Kamen no Onna): Zenon's servants. Nothing is known about them except that they are obedient to Zenon. After hearing that Rozalin disappeared, Zenon sends them out to find her and eliminate those who caused her disappearance. Later in the game on the way to Zenon's castle the masked man and woman are defeated and it is discovered that they are actually Adell's biological parents. Voice actor: Junji Majima (JPN)/David Lodge(US)/Yuko Sasamoto (JPN)

* Laharl (ラハール, Rahāru?): The main character of the first Disgaea and current Overlord of his Netherworld. He is also upset that he is no longer the main character. Laharl travels to Veldime to drag Etna and the Prinnies back to the castle and become the main character of Disgaea once again. Voice actor: Kaori Mizuhashi (JPN)/Barbara Goodson (US)

* Flonne (フロン, Furon?): The third main character from the first Disgaea. After the events in Celestia, Flonne became a fallen angel and continued to work under Laharl. Even after Etna leaves, Flonne stays and continues to aid Laharl. She travels to Veldime hoping to end the fight between Laharl and Etna and, like Laharl, wants to be a main character again. Voice actor: Yuko Sasamoto (JPN)/Sandy Fox (US)

Play Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3

2010-01-22T20:20:00.001-08:00

The Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series, known in Japan as the Naruto: Narutimate Hero (ＮＡＲＵＴＯ－ナルト－ナルティメットヒーロー, Naruto: Narutimetto Hīrō?) series, is a series of 3-D fighting games, based on the popular manga and anime series Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto, for the PlayStation 2. They were developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Namco Bandai. The series includes three games based on the first part of the Naruto story, which were then followed by two titles based on Naruto Shippūden, as well as spinoffs and a sequel for the PlayStation Portable, and a follow-up title for the PlayStation 3 entitled Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm.

Gameplay

Kakashi Hatake facing Sasuke Uchiha in Ultimate Ninja 2.

In the Ultimate Ninja Series line, the player controls one of the many characters seen within the Naruto anime and manga. The simple goal is to fight the opposing character and to win by reducing their health to zero. The catch to this goal is the vast amount of weapons that appear to the characters as the battle progresses (along with items which could potentially heal the player or the opponent). Along with the various weapons available to the characters, they also have their various special abilities taken straight from the series (Naruto Uzumaki's Rasengan or Sasuke Uchiha's Chidori, for example). To use these attacks, however, the player must have the required chakra as indicated by the "chakra bars" located under the players health. Using the technique drains the chakra bar (which can be regained through various methods, including special, character specific methods for some characters). These special techniques are not performed in real-time, however; once successfully executed, a cinematic takes place, where the player either has to fill a bar to a specific level or hit buttons illustrated in the corner of the screen faster than their opponent to assure the attack is at its full strength. All characters can use the substitution jutsu, although some characters use different versions (two variants of Substitution exist; one which evades normal attacks, and another which begins a tug-of-war like minigame after juggling an opponent). Also, some characters have specific transformations available to them (such as Sasuke's Curse Mark of Heaven with the right amount of chakra or, in the later games, by successfully executing their special technique). The first 2 games of the Ultimate Ninja series let players execute 3 different secret technique attacks using three different Chakra levels (red, purple, and blue, in order of weakest to strongest), 2 different signature techniques, and a wide variety of kicks, punches, and throws. However, in Ultimate Ninja 3, players are only allowed to use one secret technique attack, besides the other attacks and techniques. To compensate for this, players will be allowed to select the secret technique of their choice before each battle, but not all secret techniques will be made available at the start of the game. Different secret techniques must be obtained through story mode and completing missions.

Play Lunar: Silver Star Harmony

2010-01-22T20:09:00.000-08:00

Lunar: The Silver Star (ルナ~サ・シルバースター?) is a role-playing video game developed by Game Arts and Studio Alex for the Sega CD console. Originally released in Japan on June 16, 1992 to critical acclaim, the game was translated and released in English by Working Designs the following year. Designed as a "different kind of RPG",[1] Lunar: The Silver Star made use of the up-and-coming disc format by featuring CD-quality audio, video playback, and voice acting to narrate a fantasy story set in a magical world. As the number one selling Sega CD title in Japan, the game sold nearly as many copies as the system itself, and remains the second highest-selling Sega CD title of all time. The first game in the Lunar series, it set the standard for other follow-up titles, and was followed by a direct sequel, Lunar: Eternal Blue in 1994.

The game centers on the exploits of Alex, a young boy from a small town who dreams of one day becoming a great hero like his idol, Dragonmaster Dyne. When a childish adventure later turns to discovering an ancient dragon, Alex and his friends must journey across the world to gather the necessary power to become the next Dragonmaster, and save the world in the process. Since the game's original release, two enhanced remakes have been produced for various systems: Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete in 1996,[4], Lunar Legend in 2002

Gameplay

Lunar: The Silver Star is a traditional, top-down role-playing game featuring two-dimensional characters and environments. The player must navigate towns, fields, and harsh environments to complete story-based objectives that move the plot forward, as well as interact with non-player characters to expand the script and gain various rewards.[6] Making use of the Sega CD's disc hardware capabilities, short video and audio interludes accompany the game's narrative, including full or quarter-screen animated images and redbook audio sound files. Players record their progress by saving to either the Sega CD's internal RAM memory, or a separately purchased RAM cartridge that fit into the accompanying Mega Drive/Genesis.[3]
A battle sequence.

While traveling in the game's world, players randomly encounter enemy monsters that must be defeated or avoided to progress. Battle sequences utilize a turn-based approach, with the player and enemies acting in accordance with their "speed" rating. The player issues commands to each controlled character in their party, which are then carried out in sequence until the battle ends. While on the battlefield, players may choose to move their characters to attack the enemy, retreat into a corner, stand their ground, or flee the battle entirely, with characters only able to strike enemies if they are close enough to their target or use a ranged attack. Nall, a supporting character not directly involved in combat, is present throughout the game to analyze enemies before battles begin, gauging their relative strength to the player's group.[7] Players may find weapons, equipment, and assorted items during gameplay that increase the effectiveness of characters in battle, such as causing more damage to opponents and increasing their stamina. Winning battles grant experience points that go towards making characters stronger and able to battle progressively more difficult enemies.[8] Upon defeat, a player may choose to load a previous save file, or re-start their game at an automatically saved checkpoint.

Play Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

2010-01-22T05:10:00.000-08:00

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (クライシスコア -ファイナルファンタジーVII-, Kuraishisu Koa -Fainaru Fantajī Sebun-?) is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable. The game is a prequel to Final Fantasy VII and is also the sixth installment in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. Production was overseen by Yoshinori Kitase, the director of the original Final Fantasy VII, with Hajime Tabata as the game's director and Tetsuya Nomura as the game's character designer.

The game mainly focuses around Zack Fair, a 2nd Class SOLDIER, and the events leading up to his destined demise. He meets many of the Final Fantasy VII characters, including Cloud Strife and Aerith Gainsborough, with whom he develops strong bonds. The game's storyline takes the player from the war with the Wutai to the events at Nibelheim, and right up to the time just before the Final Fantasy VII beginning. Some of the missing events or plot holes from Nibelheim and afterwards are explained in the animated feature, Last Order: Final Fantasy VII.

Gameplay

Crisis Core is a role-playing game in which the player controls the main character Zack through the game's storyline. During the main story of the game, the player moves Zack through and between open areas, allowing him to talk with non-playable characters, interact with the environment, or encounter monsters in battle. At any save point in these areas, the player may opt to take one of many side missions that are available; if selected, Zack is moved to a special area to complete the mission, usually to defeat one or more monsters. If the mission is successfully completed, the player is rewarded with one or more items, and often one or more new missions become available. Whether the mission is completed successfully or if Zack falls in battle, Zack is returned to the save point at the end. If Zack should fall in battle during the main story combat, the player will be forced to restart from their last saved game.
Zack in battle.

Crisis Coreuses a real-time combat system in which the player can move Zack around, initiate attacks, special abilities, spells, or item use, and have Zack block or dodge an attack.[4][5] Zack's abilities in battle are set by what materia that he is equipped with.[6] Up to six materia can be equipped, and can impart special attacks, magic spells, or passive bonuses such as bonuses to Zack's health meter or the ability to display the statistics of the current foe in combat. Materia are gained throughout the game through exploration, rewards from side missions or spoils of war, or from shops. Materia can be fused together to make more powerful versions with improved bonuses; for example, fusing an attack skill materia with an elemental magic materia can create a new attack skill materia that inflicts elemental magic damage in addition to physical damage. Special items collected in the game can also be used in materia fusion to further increase the materia's power.
Digital Mind Wave.

Crisis Core uses a slot machine-like mechanic to affect the combat system. The "Digital Mind Wave" (DMW) features two sets of three spinning wheels; one set with numbers one through seven, and another with pictures of characters that Zack befriends during the game. The DMW automatically spins as long as Zack has at least 10 Soldier Points; Soldier Points are awarded to the player by defeating foes. If the DMW stops with the same three pictures lined up, Zack will then perform an appropriate Limit Break attack or ability that can greatly harm an enemy or significantly heal Zack. Additionally, in this case, if the number slots give two or more of the same number, the materia in that slot will power up. Should the numbers line up as "777", Zack will gain an experience level, increasing his health, soldier points, and ability points in combat. Otherwise, if there is no match on the pictures, matching numbers on the slots will still grant temporary bonuses in battle such as limited invincibility or zero-cost use of skills and abilities. The chance of matching pictures is tied to the current Limit level, which is raised by taking damage in battle and reduced upon successful matches, and after certain storyline events, through heightened emotions towards a specific character. After collecting certain items in the game, the pictures on the DMW may also randomly change to summonable creatures, which have more destructive and beneficial Limit Breaks should the pictures match up.

Following the completion of the game, the player will obtain a New Game Plus option.[7] The North American and European releases of Crisis Core have an added difficulty mode to the game which increases the power and health of the enemies in the game.

Characters

Left to right, Genesis, Angeal, Zack, Sephiroth, Tseng, and Cloud.

Crisis Core takes place some years before the events of Final Fantasy VII, and as such, many characters from the game and other related works appear in Crisis Core. However, the primary characters in the game are from either Shinra Electric Power Company's private armed forces dubbed SOLDIER, or from their covert branch of operatives called the Turks.

The main protagonist and playable character of Crisis Core is Zack Fair, a young and friendly man. At the start of the game, he is a 2nd class SOLDIER operative. Angeal is a 1st class SOLDIER and acts as a mentor for Zack. Both are friends with fellow SOLDIER members Sephiroth and Genesis, the latter serving as the game's primary antagonist who takes special interest in an unfinished play called "LOVELESS". The SOLDIER operatives work under Director Lazard, the illegitimate son of President Shinra. Zack is also friends with the Turks, particularly their leader Tseng and one of their female operatives Cissnei. During the course of the game, Zack encounters and befriends Aerith, a young woman tending flowers from a ruined church in the Midgar slums, and also befriends Cloud, a Shinra infantryman, and like Zack, raised in a country town. Zack also encounters Dr. Hollander, a former Shinra scientist that is performing unethical experiments in secret. Luxiere and Kunsel are two SOLDIER operatives that befriend Zack, as well as informing him on events and actions while offering help in his time of need.

Play Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Tag Force 4

2010-01-22T05:02:00.000-08:00

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Tag Force 4 (遊☆戯☆王: 5D's タッグフォース4?) is a card battle game for the Playstation Portable. It is the fourth installment of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Tag Force series, and the first to be based on the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's series (previous installments were based on Yu-Gi-Oh! GX.) It is based on the Dark Signers arc of the anime series. The promotional cards are Warm Worm, Worm Bait, Regret Reborn and Shield Worm. Like previous installments, the English version does not feature any voices and the life point counter is altered to match the dub's.

Features

* Contains 4063 cards, including Duel Terminal - Dragunity of the Hurricane, Structure Deck 17: Warrior's Strike, Extra Pack Volume 2 and most of Stardust Overdrive (excepting cards not part of the Dark Signer arc).
* Uses the Official Card Game Master Rules.
* Uses the March 2009 Banlist as default.
* Up to 200 deck recipes can be stored.
* The Destiny Draw system from Tag Force 2 and 3 returns.
* Features Cinematic Summoning and Attack Sequences available for Red Dragon Archfiend, Stardust Dragon, Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu, Earthbound Immortal Cusillu, Earthbound Immortal Aslla Piscu, Earthbound Immortal Uru, Earthbound Immortal Ccarayhua, Power Tool Dragon, Gadget Hauler, Exploder Dragonwing, Junk Warrior, Black Rose Dragon, Ancient Fairy Dragon, Blackwing Armor Master, Blackwing Armed Wing,and Goyo Guardian. All previous Tag Force 3 animations no longer exist except for Blue Eyes White Dragon and Light and Darkness Dragon.
* Also has animations for Exodia the Forbidden One and Destiny Board wins.

Characters

Main article: List of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters

* Yusei Fudo (with and without Criminal Marker)
* Jack Atlas
* Akiza Izinzki (unlockable Duel Academy outfit)
* Leo
* Luna
* Crow Hogan
* Kalin Kessler (unlockable Team Satisfaction outfit)
* Carly Carmine (regular and Dark Signer)
* Roman Godwin
* Misty Tredwell (regular and Dark Signer)
* Devack
* Rally Dawson
* Officer Trudge (regular and Dark Signer)
* Mina Simington (unlockable alternate personality)
* Yu-Gi-Oh! 5C's members (cosplayers featured in V-Jump magazine)

Play Dissidia: Final Fantasy

2010-01-22T04:56:00.000-08:00

Dissidia: Final Fantasy (ディシディアファイナルファンタジー, Dishidia Fainaru Fantajī?) is an action RPG/fighting game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign of the Final Fantasy series 20th anniversary. Information on the game was first released during the "Square Enix Party" event of May 2008. The game features characters from different Final Fantasy games and centers around a great conflict between the heroes and villains, as the god of discord, Chaos, tries to wrest control of their worlds from the forces of good. It was released in Japan on December 18, 2008, in North America on August 25, 2009, in Australia on September 3, 2009 and in Europe on September 4, 2009. It was then re-released as an international version in Japan, based on the North American port, as Dissidia Final Fantasy: Universal Tuning, on November 1, 2009.[4] Dissidia was well-received commercially and critically, with positive reviews and sales of over 1 million copies worldwide.

Play Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

2010-01-22T04:45:00.000-08:00

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is the latest game in the Monster Hunter franchise for PlayStation Portable. It is an expansion to the original Monster Hunter Freedom 2 and was released on March 27, 2008 in Japan as Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (モンスターハンターポータブル 2nd G, Monsutā hantā pōtaburu 2nd G?). In the 2008 Tokyo Game Show, it was announced that the game would be released in North America as Monster Hunter Freedom Unite in Spring 2009.[3] At the 2009 GDC, the release date was further specified as June 23, 2009. The US, and the Australian demo is available for free, on the PlayStation Network on the PSP as of 5/21/09.[4] Capcom has announced that the PSP bundle will be released in Europe, but were not specific about anywhere else. A press release at Capcom's European Press Centre website states that the bundle will contain "a specially designed Monster Hunter branded PSP skin and pouch along with a copy of the game." [5] As for the release in Japan, there was a special edition PSP bundle which included the game, a strap, and a decorated Matte Bronze PSP. In addition to this bundle, people who pre-ordered the game also received a black, hairy strap. The hair on the strap was meant to be that of a monster exclusive to the game, the Nargacuga.

New features

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite has more missions, equipment, and monsters than Monster Hunter Freedom 2. A new feature is a Felyne fighter to help you on your quests. You can also get Rarity 9 and 10 armor and weapons. In addition, the player can now hold up to 99 of each item type in his/her box, store up to 20 equipment sets, and get ten equipment pages instead of six. A new type of quest, the "Epic Hunting Quest", will be introduced, which will enable the hunter to take on, one by one, up to 4 different monsters in one quest, as shown in the released demo. Weapons can now have up to purple sharpness which is higher than white sharpness. You can now accept HR 7-9 quests in the gathering hall and new elder quests outside the gathering hall near the village elder.
Adhoc Party

On November 6, 2008, the beta version of a new online service allowing voice chat through the PlayStation Network (and a LAN connected Wi-Fi capable PlayStation 3) was released on the Japanese PlayStation Store. Adhoc Party for PlayStation Portable beta version is compatible with Monster Hunter Freedom Unite.
[edit] Europe/US Campaign

Capcom has created the Encyclopedia Gigantica, a website for newcomers to the Monster Hunter series. It includes tutorial videos, images of monsters, forums and more.

Capcom were also holding a temporary Gathering Hall between the 3:th July and the 1:st of September in London, Charing Cross, for all Unite players to play in a campaign to make the franchise more popular in the West to see future titles to be released overseas. Capcom's Monster Hunter Freedom Unite website, as well as Encyclopedia Gigantica, are sending out demo copies of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite to anyone who registers for one.

To receive one, you need to register and give them your details. This demo features 3 missions. In the first you are put up against one of the new monsters in this game, the Hypnocatrice. The second mission sends you out to the desert to hunt a Purple colored Daimyo Hermitaur (Plum Daimyo Hermitaur). The third, most difficult mission has three monsters appearing one after the other: a Khezu, a Gypceros and a Green Congalala (Emerald Congalala).

This demo has a set equipment list for each of the weapon categories, and you may also select between three felyne helpers to join you on your quest. One felyne is a physical attacker type and the second is a bomber type. The last is a support type, which can assist you by using flutes.

Weapon/Armor

There is a huge number of weapons and armor in Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, including new sharpnesses, decorations, etc. Each weapon has its own different controls and skills. There are two sets of collections of armor: gunners' armor and blademasters' armor.

There are many different versions of armors. The normal-version is the weakest version of armor, being created from normal ranking monsters. D-version armor is made of more powerful subspecies of the monsters and has better abilities. The S-version is made of higher ranked monsters and gives much more protection than low ranking armor. There is also a new feature with the S-armor when you first get it. There are bands all over the armor that you can change the color of. Blue, Purple, Green, Pink, White, Black, Rainbow (ect.)The U-version is the high-ranked version of the D-armors. The X-versions are made from some of the most powerful monsters in the game. However, Z-versions of armors are the best. They provide the best defense and the best abilities but are made of the subspecies of the most powerful monsters in game, so the materials for this type of armor are rare. With "Armor spheres" that can be mined, one can improve their armor. With "Decorations" one can improve the abilities of a set of armor. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite also has many different weapons and armor that you can unlock.