GameTech Advance

Digital Trends' Gift Ideas for Tech Lovers

2011-12-23T12:10:00.000+08:00

Digital Trends rolled out some hot gadget ideas you can give away for the holidays. We added some stuff up we thought would be a worthwhile idea to entertain.

PhotoCredit: Microsoft

Xbox 360 with Kinect bundle: $300

Gifts don’t get much better than an Xbox 360; it’s literally all fun and games. We recommend spending a little extra loot for the Kinect bundle, which includes an Xbox 360 with a 4GB hard drive, one wireless controller, the Kinect motion-sensor controller, and a copy of the family-friendly Kinect Adventure game. The only problem is that you might want to keep this one for yourself.

Where to get it: The Xbox 360 Kinect Bundle with Kinectimals game starts at $300 on Yahoo! Shopping.

CNET's Most Anticipated Tech Products in 2012

2011-12-23T11:35:00.001+08:00

In anticipation for the new year, CNET comes up with a list of anticipated gadgets for 2012. This is my personal list as I had deleted some which I think should not be included and added a little bit of data about each gadget. Of course, the usual disclaimer is there that this gadgets may or may not well be introduced into the market as they are in the development stage and companies would not want to spoil the fun and end up spoiling their profits and marketing.
We put up the companies' selling point of the products and added the opinion of CNET's game experts. So here goes:

Nintendo Wii U

Image credit: Nintendo

Nintendo's next home console is introducing a revolutionary new touch screen controller with precision motion controls and full HD graphics that can continue a gaming session on the portable controller even when your TV is off.

Best Smartphones for Everyone

2011-08-20T16:16:00.003+08:00

Choosing the right smartphone is a daunting task. Potential buyers need to think through several factors including cost, features, performance and more. The good news is that with several dozen quality smartphones on the market, there will be options that serve your specific needs and interests.

So whether you are seeking a smartphone to play games, get more work done, give to your children or just run reliably throughout the day, there are plenty of options to consider. Here are the best.

Best smartphone for business

While most professionals know about the BlackBerry, the business phone that deserves more attention and runs on a familiar Microsoft platform is the Dell Venue Pro. This enterprise-focused smartphone, which is available for T-Mobile and AT&T subscribers, is an elegant-looking device with its 4.1-inch AMOLED display and slide-out keyboard. With sizable buttons and pronounced tactile feedback, the Dell Venue Pro is great for typing emails and taking extensive notes on the fly.

Housekeeping Gadgets

2011-08-20T15:39:00.002+08:00

Photo Amazon.com

The Mop of the Future

Since the days when Rosie the Robot cleaned up after the Jetsons, Americans have dreamed of a better way to clean. And while we have yet to invent a full-fledged robot maid, cleaning technology has advanced by leaps and bounds.

So if you’re still using a mop and broom to clean around the house, we recommend putting them in the closet and checking out some of the fancy new ways to keep your space clean. From vacuuming robots to self-cleaning litter boxes, the future of cleaning is here.

Photo: irobot.com

Roomba

When it comes to futuristic cleaning technology, the Roomba is the 800-pound robot in the living room. (Okay, it’s more like eight pounds.)

Introduced nearly a decade ago by consumer robotics company iRobot, these tiny robots hover around your house vacuuming your floors, using infrared technology to sense and avoid obstacles.

When it’s done it will return to a docking station to charge, and all the maintenance you need to do is empty its dustbin and occasionally clean the thing. Depending on which generation and model you get, you can pay anywhere from $200 to $600.

The Roomba is not only convenient for those who can’t be bothered to vacuum, it’s also a source of endless entertainment, used as everything from a kitten transportation system to a robotic DJ.

Laptop Computers for Everyone

2011-08-18T20:32:00.003+08:00

We looked at laptops for every type of user: the student who needs a superlight classroom companion, the multimedia multitasker who wants a powerful desktop replacement, and plenty in between. The following five aced our tests.
Lenovo IdeaPad U260

Starting at $700 ($999 model tested)

Pros: This tiny, 3-pound 12.5-incher was the darling of consumer testers, thanks to the simple keyboard, trackpad, and navigation (plus its sleek cover, in orange or brown). It booted up and transferred files in seconds, and has a superb battery — we got 6.5-plus hours on a charge.

Cons: With less-than-stellar audio and video quality and a petite screen, it's not ideal for watching movies or listening to music.

Photo: Lara Robby/Studio D

Starting at $1,134 Apple MacBook Pro 13"

($1,199 model tested)

Pros: The MacBook Pro (or, for $100 more, the super-slim Air 13") was a winner even with begrudging PC fans. Highlights: its multi-touch trackpad, speedy processing, admirable screen and sound, impressive battery life (6.5 hours), and its weight — just 4.5 pounds.

Cons: Fewer ports than most. With just two USB slots, you may not be able to connect, say, your external drive, camera, and mouse at once.

VideoLan's VLC Media Player

2011-04-26T00:40:00.003+08:00

I used to utilize different media players for different media files. Quicktime for 3gp files, Media player for mp4 and mp3 files, and many more. But that was all before I encountered VLC Media Player. It basically meets all my media player needs. It plays just about all the media files in my computer, does not take up much data space and basically operates as good in Windows as in Linux or Mac. I recently encountered an article introducing VLC and featuring some features that even those VLC users like me don't appreciate much.

For those who are not familiar with VLC, I highly recommend it and would advise you to give it a try and I think you will not regret it. For those who use the media player already, you may be interested with these other features that you have not noticed before.

FireFox 4 Browser is Out!

2011-04-09T21:10:00.000+08:00

Since abandoning Internet Explorer, I always had a thing for Firefox. It opened my eyes to the world of internet browsers. When I was a budding computer geek, I used to think that Internet Explorer is the only browser available. For the information of everybody, I did not have a formal training about computers and I was only introduced to the tech world by my father who studied programming. It was love at first sight and so I continue to expand my interest and knowledge about computers until today.

A friend had recommended Firefox to me and I was open to the idea since Internet Explorer doesn't really offer the flexibility and security I need when it comes to Internet. But after a while, I have come to realize that Firefox is really not that special specially after discovering Google Chrome which what I am using now. Firefox can't really beat Chrome when it comes to speed and convenience. So not long ago, I switched yet again. So to try to entice us back to Firefox, they released the latest version which is Firefox 4 with added features and plug-ins/add-ons to make or enhances its functionality. These are some things that you may want to look at and consider Firefox once again:

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HAving Troubles with my PSP

2011-03-18T17:15:00.002+08:00

I was having trouble with my PSP lately. I've been meaning to sell it in order to have enough money to buy an iPod Touch. Well I have no grudge against PSP but the iPod Touch is more appropriate for my lifestyle and my techie needs.

Read more »

Bubble Bobble Evolution

2011-03-17T07:25:00.000+08:00

Download PSP Game

Breath of Fire III

2011-03-16T21:55:00.001+08:00

One of the best RPG games I played. I like the graphics with all the effects of the story mode. I also like collecting various equipments for the characters and eventually upgrading their capabilities. I hope you enjoy it.

Download PSP Game

Tablets

2011-03-16T21:30:00.039+08:00

They said that 2010 was supposed to be the Year of the Tablet. It did not happen — the flood of product was not the hype that it was expected, as many manufacturers awaited a more tablet-friendly operating system from Google. So, once more: 2011 will be the Year of the Tablet. Several new models have either been released, or are in a very advanced state of preview.

Apple iPad

Apple introduced the second version of its iPad on March 2. The newer version is slimmer, lighter and has both front and rear-facing cameras. The devices can be bought to operate on either AT&T or Verizon's 3G networks. Competitors are cropping up with increasing frequency, but the iPad remains the dominant tablet on the market.

Device Apple iPad

Operating System iOS

Apps 40,000 + iPad apps through the Apple App Store;

300,000 + compatible iPhone apps

Flash Support No

Multitasking Yes, with the newest iOS upgrade

Screen 9.7" 4:3 IPS screen

Screen Resolution 1024 x 768

Camera Front and rear-facing cameras

Ports Apple dock connection, HDMI

Navigation Compass, assisted GPS (3G version only)

Storage 16, 32 or 64 GB

Wireless Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G (some models)

Estimated Battery Life 10 hours

Dimensions 9.5" x 7.3" x 0.34"

Weight 1.33 pounds

Wireless Plan $15 or $25 a month via AT&T (No contract); $20 to $50 a month via Verizon

Price $500-$830

Bliss Island

2011-03-16T20:39:00.000+08:00

Download PSP Game

Bomberman

2011-03-16T20:37:00.000+08:00

Download PSP Game

Ape Quest

2011-03-16T20:34:00.000+08:00

Download PSP Game

Astonishia Story

2011-03-16T20:11:00.003+08:00

Download PSP Game

Avatar: The Last Airbender

2011-03-16T19:45:00.003+08:00

Download PSP Game

WestWard IV: All Aboard!!!

2011-03-07T19:46:00.004+08:00

Download Game

RIM unveils a tablet: the BlackBerry PlayBook

2010-09-28T12:00:00.002+08:00

Looks like all those rumors about BlackBerry maker Research inMotion coming out with its own tablet were true — well, everything except for the name.

Instead of the "BlackPad" (ugh), RIM is calling its 7-inch, camera-packing tablet the BlackBerry PlayBook. CEO Mike Lazaridis showed off the long-rumored device during the keynote of RIM’s BlackBerry developer conference in San Francisco on Monday.

RIM says its new tablet will arrive in the U.S. in early 2011, and in overseas markets in the second quarter of next year. No pricing details yet.

Expect a 0.9-pound tablet that’s 9.7mm (or 0.4 inch) thick, complete with (as rumored) a pair of cameras: a 5-megapixel camera in the back, and a 3MP lens in front, both capable of recording HD video — nice.

The 7-inch display — the same size as that on the just-announced Samsung Galaxy Tab — will boast a resolution of 1024 by 600, and yes, it’s a capacitive multitouch display, good for such multi-finger gestures as punching and zooming.

The "no-compromises" PlayBook will run on a new tablet OS designed by QNX Software Systems, which RIM acquired back in April, and it’ll be powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor, complete with a whopping 1GB of onboard RAM (compared with just 256MB for the iPad). The PlayBook will also support multitasking and Flash (think Flash Player 10.1), by the way, as well as multimedia-friendly HTML5 Web standards.

As far as data: The PlayBook will arrive with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, with both 3G and 4G (yep, 4G) versions coming "in the future," according to RIM. The PlayBook will also connect to a nearby BlackBerry via Bluetooth for viewing e-mail, calendar, to-do items or contacts — meaning, presumably, that you’ll be able to tap out messages on the PlayBook and fire them off from your handheld BlackBerry.

We can also expect "nonproprietary" microUSB and micro-HDMI ports, with the PlayBook capable of outputting full-on 1080p video via HDMI, RIM says.

A slick promo video for the PlayBook shows features such as tabbed browsing, an app task bar, threaded messaging, on-the-Web YouTube video, and tablet-sized e-mail and event interfaces — all very iPad-like, with the added twist of the PlayBook acting as a BlackBerry companion (or the BlackBerry "amplified," as RIM puts it) in addition to a stand-alone slate.

All very interesting, but we’ll have to wait for more details on the BlackBerry PlayBook (not to mention its new, QNX-build OS) until some point "on or before" the tablet’s launch date — which, of course, we don’t really know yet.

So, thoughts on the PlayBook? Questions? (Keep in mind, though, that I’ve yet to lay hands on the PlayBook itself.) Predictions? Fire away below.

• Research in Motion: Press release

— Ben Patterson is a technology writer for Yahoo! News.

World of Warcraft Slang Guide: A Beginner's Guide to WoW Leetspeak

2010-07-31T00:53:00.006+08:00

World of Warcraft is among the most popular video games of all time. As of 2009 it holds the Guinness World Record for the most popular MMORPG, with over 10 million subscribers. The game has also made its mark on pop culture, spawning popular web series "The Guild" as well as being lampooned in its own episode of "South Park." It's so big, it's even developed its own dialect!

For new players, the game's slang and abbreviated language can be confusing. Some of the lingo comprises existing "Leetspeak" or gaming slang terms, like "LOL" (Laugh Out Loud) or "pwn" (a corruption of "Own," a way to gloat over victory). Many others are specific to World of Warcraft, abbreviating game terms and features. To make your trip to Azeroth go more smoothly, here are some of the most frequently used terms:

Char - Short for character, meaning a character avatar within World of Warcraft. Also referred to as "toon," short for cartoon.

Main - Main character. This is the character you play most often.

Alt - Alternate character. Any character you play besides your main.

Ding - Slang for increasing your character's level. A friend who knows you just reached a new level might congratulate you by saying, "Grats ("Congratulations") on ding."

Gear - Equipment. Your character's armor and weapons.

XP or Exp - Experience points. Points gained when defeating enemies or completing quests, which go toward increasing your character's level.

Loot - Treasure, usually found on the corpse of a fallen enemy.

NPC - Non-player character. Any character that can be interacted with that isn't controlled by another player. NPCs include quest givers, merchants, and city guards.

Mob - Attackable enemies, or a class of enemies such as "Those bats are level 24 mobs."

Dungeon - An area that can only be entered by a single group, with more difficult enemies and better loot. Dungeons are often referred to as "instances" in World of Warcraft. Dungeons may have their own abbreviations, e.g. "RFD" for Razorfen Downs, or "UK" for Utgarde Keep.

Raid - A group that holds up to 40 players, used primarily to fight in World of Warcraft's most difficult dungeons. A guild that does these sort of dungeons regularly is called a "raiding guild" or "raid guild."

BE, UD - Short for Blood Elf and Undead, 2 of the available player races within World of Warcraft.

Buff - Status effects that improve your character's performance for a limited time. "Debuff" indicates negative status effects, like poison or disease.

DK, Lock, Pally - Short for a few of World of Warcraft's player classes. DK is short for Death Knight, lock means Warlock, and pally is short for Paladin.

Rez - Short for "resurrection," or being brought back to life after dying within World of Warcraft. Some classes can resurrect friendly players, such as priests and paladins. If there's no one around to rez you, your spirit will appear at a graveyard. You'll need to run in "spirit form" or "ghost form" back to where you died. This is called a "corpse run" or "rez run."

Zone - An area within World of Warcraft. Usually indicates open areas rather than cities or dungeons. May be used as a verb to indicate switching areas, such as "Zone into the dungeon." Nearly every zone or dungeon in World of Warcraft is referred to as an acronym. The Stranglethorn Vale zone is known as STV, for example.

PST - "Please Send Tell." Also known as "tells" or "whispers," this means sending a direct message to another World of Warcraft player, i.e. "/tell Player Hi!"

LFG, LFM - Looking for group, or looking for more. Used to recruit players to play together, usually for a specific objective like a dungeon or quest.

Hearth - Your character's home point, to which you can teleport at any time, set by an item called a hearthstone. Used as a noun, as in: "My hearth is in Dalaran." Also used as a verb, as in: "I need to hearth to check my mailbox."

AH - Auction House. World of Warcraft's marketplace, responsible for most of the game's trade between players.

WTB, WTS, WTT - Willing (or wanting) to buy, sell or trade. Used to trade directly instead of using the AH. These terms will be yelled out in populated areas, along with the goods or services players are interested in.

Soulbound - When an item or piece of equipment is "bound" to your character and cannot be traded to other players.

BoE, BoP - Bind on equip, bind on pickup. BoE items can be traded as long as they're never worn; these are usually items you find as loot. BoE items become soulbound as soon as they're equipped, while BoP items are soulbound immediately.

Craft - Creating goods through in-game crafting professions. Many of the crafting professions have their names abbreviated, such as WS for weaponsmith.

Mats - Short for "materials," or the ingredients needed to create a crafted item.

Tank - A character designed to take most (or all) of the damage from enemies, especially in dungeons. Also used as a verb, as in "My pet can tank that mob."

PvE, PvP - PvE (Player vs. Environment) indicates when players are fighting against monsters or NPCs. PvP means fighting against other players. BG - Battleground. One of the PvP-specific areas within World of Warcraft, such as Warsong Gulch (WSG).

Board games go digital

2010-07-28T17:52:00.002+08:00

A new release from one of the industry’s largest publishers is shooting up the video game charts, but it’s not the space marines of Halo or the jocular star-collecting Mario brothers who are sucking in gamers. Instead, it’s a title based on an old board game: one those same console fanatics probably have gathering dust at the back of the closet.

Risk: Factions is the latest in a string of these chiefly downloadable, low-priced board game spin-offs. Rather than Risk’s usual world-domination schtick -- which could make for an over-long, unwieldy experience on a game console -- Factions gives players shorter, bite-sized missions to complete, setting them loose on smaller, fictional continents. It packs a graphical facelift that introduces animated zombies, barfing cats, and tongue-in-cheek cut-scenes. Games can easily run their course in under 30 minutes. In short, it’s Risk: ADD Edition.

Flippant though its presentation might be, Factions is going down well even with Risk purists: it’s scoringhealthily at review aggregation site Metacritic.com, with much of the criticism stemming from the comparative lack of single-player content. Somehow, we doubt that’ll bother board game fans too much.

Boardgame classics hit the digital realm.

Monopoly’s next up for a similar treatment, also at the hands of EA. Releasing this October, Monopoly Streets promises to give gamers a unique view of the Monopoly board -- from ground level, by creating a living, breathing world that’ll evolve as you play. Make a good purchase, and you’ll see your headquarters swell and become more ornate; get soaked, and it’ll crumble aloing with your bank balance. It’ll also feature a no-frills mode for those looking for the classic Monopoly experience.

If that all sounds a little too...modern, more traditional takes on parlor classics are finding healthy consumer interest, too. Take Carcassonne, renowned winner of the prestigious Spiel des Jahres award in 2001: a deceptively simple game where players take turns to lay tiles that connect to form roads, cities, and fields. Just like Scrabble or Monopoly, its touchscreen-friendly tiles and turn-based gameplay make it a natural fit for the iPhone and iPad. Throw your device in your pocket, and it’ll update you whenever your opponent makes a move. Nothing more convenient than that.

Best Laptops Under $500

2010-07-28T17:47:00.001+08:00

Save some cash with the 10 best laptops under $500, from companies including Sony, Dell and HP.

Don’t tell the hordes swarming into the Apple Store every weekend, but the days of needing to spend over $1,000 to get a quality laptop passed by while most of them were still in high school. Even before netbooks came along sending manufacturers into a frenzy while chewing their own margins down to pennies just to compete, prices on Windows laptops were in a freefall, leaving today’s prices at rock bottom. With Windows 7 now standard, you won’t have to deal with Microsoft’s last dud of an operating system this year either. Just about any notebook under $500 will serve your most basic needs, but some inevitably do it a whole lot better than others. Here are some of our favorites.

Note: All prices reflect what you can find these notebooks for on the street or online, not necessarily MSRP.

Dell Vostro V13, $449.00 and up.

If you thought this 0.65-inch-thick, aluminum-shelled beauty shared a bloodline with Dell’s ultra-premium Adamo XPS, you would be right. If you thought it shared the price, you would be dead wrong. An ultra-low-voltage processor and a handful of other minor sacrifices (like only two USB ports) keep the 13.3-inch notebook from pulling ahead as the workhorse of this pack, but it’s hard to beat the knife-like 3.5-pound body for traveling in style.

Asus Eee PC Seashell 1201N-PU17, $483.41

Not all netbooks are built alike. Asus sets its Eee PC 1201N apart with some of the brawniest silicon to be planted in such a tiny package: a dual-core Intel Atom processor and Nvidia’s Ion graphics processor. Together, they give the 12.1-inch netbook pep above and beyond even some full-size notebooks in this price range, including the ability to run many modern games on the 1366 x 768 display. The dynamo GPU also makes the 1201N adept at 1080p video playback, which it can even pump out to a flat-screen TV via a standard HDMI port.

Gateway NV5387u, $499.99

Don't let the obtuse name deter you: This is one of the most powerful laptops in our round up. Gateway’s NV5387u offers AMD’ Turion II Ultra Dual-Core M600 processor clocked at 2.4 GHz, not to mention 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, 15.6-inch display, and ATI Radeon HD 4200 graphics. The estimated battery life under three hours won’t make it much of a travel machine, but users who need the extra power will be amazed how much grunt they get for the dollar.

Lenovo X100e, $499.00 and up.

Lenovo treads the line between notebook and netbook with the X100e, one of the few computers in the respected ThinkPad line to fall below the $500 mark. While the 11.6-inch screen and weight under 3 pounds might qualify it as a netbook, an AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 processor, rock-solid build quality and trusty ThinkPad keyboard with built-in TrackPoint joystick elevate it to a machine worthy of wearing the ThinkPad badge. Users who need a little extra power can also upgrade to the dual-core Neo X2 for another $50.

Asus Eee PC Seashell 1005PE, $377.80

The Energizer Bunny of netbooks uses a capacious six-cell battery to deliver 14 hours of run time – according to Asus, anyway. As with all notebook battery estimates, it’s a bit of a pie-in-the-sky estimate, but even after accounting for the optimism of Asus’ marketing department, you can expect honest all-day computing. And at only 2.8 pounds, you won’t throw out your back carrying it around all day, either. A 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor won’t get anything done in a hurry, but for surfing the Web, rearranging spreadsheets and writing papers, you won’t find yourself pining for anything more.

HP Pavilion dm1z Series, $449.99 and up.

HP's dm1z stacks up similar to the Lenovo X100e with an 11.6-inch screen and choice of AMD Neo processors, but you’ll get the faster Neo K125 CPU in the base price, a superior Radeon HD 4225 graphics chip that handles HD video, as well as more memory (2GB instead of 1GB) and hard drive space (320GB to 160GB). Specs don’t tell the whole story, since we find Lenovo’s build quality is hard to match, but the dm1z makes yet another excellent alternative for folks looking for a little more power than the average netbook supplies.

HP Mini 5102, $415

HP means business, quite literally, with this rare corporate-class entry in the netbook category. Although the guts look a lot like any other, HP has wrapped them in a sturdy magnesium chassis trimmed with aluminum, which looks, well, ready for the boardroom. It also gets the same drop protection as full-fledged business notebooks, an almost-full-size keyboard, and Corel Home Office preinstalled. (Yes, it's the poor man's Microsoft Office, but it will save you $150).

MSI X Slim X340-021US, $499.99

OK, it's a blatant rip-off of Apple's MacBook Air. But for a penny under $500, what's not to like? The X340 features the same rounded clamshell edges, 13.3-inch screen, and even a 0.78-inch thick profile that's only a hair away from the Air's 0.76 inches. Of course, you get a 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Solo chip instead of a 1.86GHz Core 2 Duo, integrated Intel graphics instead of a Nvidia GeForce 9400M, and a glossy plastic body instead of an anondized alumimum unibody one. But hey, what do you expect for a third the price?

Sony Vaio W Series, $449.99

Looking for a netbook with some style? Sony’s Vaio W Series delivers with classy pink, blue and white finishes, along with a swank Billabong edition you can pick up for an extra $50. As with most devices bearing the Sony name, you’ll pay a little more for it than the generic equivalent, but a peppier 1.83GHz Intel Atom processor and large-capacity battery both come standard, negating some of the brand name price inflation.

Compaq Presario CQ62Z, $379.99

This spacious 15.6-inch machine offers the comfort of a notebook, with the price of a netbook. The AMD V Series CPU you’ll find on the base model won’t get out of its own way in a hurry, so we recommend dropping $30 to step up to a significantly faster Athlon II dual-core processor. As on the HP dm1z, ATI’s Radeon HD 4250 should make short work of HD video on the (admittedly low resolution) 1366 x 768 display, but won’t leave much headroom for gaming.

More hang-ups than hits in smartphone market

2010-07-23T17:25:00.002+08:00

If we are buying so many smartphones these days, why is the phone industry smarting so much?

Just after the mid-point of 2010, a year marked by the re-emergence of Motorola and design savvy of HTC, we are witnessing notable hardware departures from Microsoft and, gasp, Google. Even Apple, which continues to set the smartphone pace, is licking its wounds from the enormous amount of unfavorable press surrounding the iPhone 4's faulty antenna design.

So while so much has gone right in smartphone development -- sales are expected to continue to rise rapidly -- there is much carnage in the marketplace.

Five failed signals

-- After only a few months on the market and backed by a significant marketing campaign, Microsoft pulled the largely well-reviewed Kin 1 and Kin 2 from the market.

-- Last week, Google said it will stop selling the Nexus One phone, the search giant's much-hyped foray into hardware development.

-- We almost said goodbye to the Palm product line-up until HP came in with a $1 billion lifeline to salvage that platform.

-- BlackBerry sales continue to slide as its once must-have phones are failing to keep pace with fresh approaches from Apple and Android.

-- Nokia, the world's leading mobile phone maker, is a non-factor in the smartphone race. Its much-heralded new product, the N8, is delayed.

-- Apple, of course, needed to put a band aid on the black eye that surrounds the iPhone 4.

Interestingly, there's a common denominator among these failures and hiccups. The products -- save for the missing Nokia N8 -- are innovative.

Verizon the problem for Microsoft

Microsoft's two Kin models were intended as social networking phones for teens and 20-somethings. Inspired by the success of the similar T-Mobile Sidekick, Microsoft was not wrong in its approach or execution. Indeed, the phone got raves from top reviewers like the New York Times David Pogue, who wrote that "Microsoft had three genuinely great ideas" with the Kin.

So what went wrong? Well, changing Microsoft's perception into a hip and interesting company is not easy. More significantly, Microsoft picked the wrong wireless partner, Verizon. The nation's top carrier did a lousy job of marketing the Kin phones for Microsoft, instead pushing customers toward smartphones such as the original Motorola Droid, which Verizon heavily markets. After the Kin was pulled, Microsoft employees who secretly shopped Verizon for smartphones reported that Verizon salespeople rarely mentioned the Kin as a worthy product.

If Microsoft had gone with T-Mobile, with its reputation as a hip carrier for younger people due to the Sidekick's success, the story might have been different. At least it would have lasted longer.

Google still gains from Nexus One

The Nexus One drop, on the other hand, was not surprising. The fact that Google launched its own phone in the first place was more unforeseen. Regardless, tech-savvy consumers and media pundits put heavy (and, in retrospect, unwarranted) expectations on an Android-based phone that competed against more established Android phones from Motorola, HTC and other manufacturers.

Now it's clear that Google launched the Nexus One as a loss-leader of sorts, using it as a showcase for Android at a time when few other phone makers were stretching the capabilities of the mobile operating system. But Google didn't really stretch those boundaries with the Nexus One either; rather, it hoped by slapping the Google name on a phone it would serve as a marketing tool for Android. That was the real plan, and it worked.

So when HTC and Motorola came out with great Android phones like the Evo, Incredible, and Droid X, Google quietly pulled the plug on the Nexus One.

Google vs. Apple is the real story

Of course, the reason for the troubles surrounding many phone makers and platforms is the battle between Apple and Google.

Apple has captured our imagination in what smartphones can do, something the traditional phone makers had not expressed as well prior to the iPhone's launch three years ago.

Sure, the BlackBerry sold very well and there was traction among Windows-based smartphones, but the iPhone was a unique product -- not just a portable computer and not just an email device -- that allowed for business and social activities to blend on the go. Apple's success pushed Google into the mobile market, but the Nexus One illustrated that Google is a great software company but not a hardware firm. Hence, Google will continue to make deals with phone makers who can innovate -- again, look at HTC and Motorola -- within that framework.

The future for BlackBerry, Nokia and Palm

It is widely believed that Research in Motion, the maker of the BlackBerry phones, will introduce another touchscreen phone this fall. Also, and more significantly, RIM should unveil a new operating system better suited for touch-screen products and partnerships with third-party app developers. With sales slipping, RIM is dangerously close to losing its grip on business customers -- its bread-and-butter clientele -- as the iPhone and Android products have proven to be attractive for road warriors.

Nokia's problems are more complex. In the wake of Apple's success, Nokia launched its own version of the App Store -- called Ovi -- and encouraged developers to create apps. But the approach hasn't worked well, particularly in the U.S., in large part because there are no compelling Nokia smartphones to lure customers.

As a result, Nokia faces two significant problems.

First, it needs a cool product. The phone maker once led with innovations like the N95, a fantastic media phone that was among the first to shoot high-quality video and take sharp pictures. I loved that phone. But that was launched at about the same time as the original iPhone in 2007, and was Nokia's last great phone. A promising successor, the N8, offers cool features like a 12-megapixel camera and HD-quality video recording, but the launch has been delayed from the spring and it could arrive in October. The N8's problem: Vlad Savov wrote in a June Engadget preview that "Nokia has put together a growling multimedia powerhouse, but the OS is so far from being fully baked we can still see the dough."

Thus, Nokia's second problem: leadership. According to a Tuesday Wall Street Journal story, Nokia is searching for a new CEO because its sales and stock price continue to fall. Also, it is looking at scrapping the Symbian platform for smartphones and is instead developing a new platform with Intel Corp., called MeeGo, to run its smartphones.

And then there is Palm, a story that will be developing for some time. The Palm Pre and Palm Pre Plus are well-regarded products, yet consumers are not buying. But instead of going out of business -- a very real possibility -- Palm was purchased by HP for about $1 billion. That's a pricey number, but it gives HP (HPQ) a potentially sexy product in a smartphone market it has had trouble with (who owns an iPaq?) and Palm a realistic shot at staying in the game.

Hopefully, the purchase will work out better for HP than Microsoft's and Google's recent forays into the smartphone space. Otherwise, expect more carnage in a market that, as it grows, eats its competition.

EA Partners, 38 Studios Announce Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

2010-07-22T00:23:00.001+08:00

Former Red Sox hurler Curt Schilling is finally pitching the first game from 38 Studios. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, previously known as codename Project Mercury, is an epic open-world RPG coming in 2011.

Publisher EA Partners and 38 Studios made the announcement today, two days before the developer is set to world premier the new game at San Diego Comic-Con. The game, led by a creative all-star team of Spawn artist Todd McFarlane, best-selling fantasy author R.A. Salvatore, and Elder Scrolls III and IV lead designer Ken Rolston, is billed as a classic RPG with a new level of intense action combat never before seen in the genre.

"Reckoning is a great representation of how a team of incredibly talented and creative people with expertise in different areas can come together and complement each other so well," said Jen MacLean, CEO of 38 Studios. "We are thrilled to be developing an open-world RPG under the leadership of one of the greatest RPG designers in the industry, with creative direction by one of the most iconic artists of our time, set in a rich universe imagined by one of the top fantasy genre authors in the world. We can't wait to share the first details of this universe we have been so dedicated to building over the past few years."

38 Studios describes Reckoning as a single-player RPG that sets players on a journey to unlock the mysteries of Amalur, a magical world filled with strange landscapes, exotic cities, colorful characters, and terrifying creatures.

"In Reckoning, we started with Bob and Todd's exceptional Kingdoms of Amalur game setting and imagery," said Ken Rolston, Lead Designer at Big Huge Games, a subsidiary of 38 Studios. "On that foundation we built the open-world exploration, vast narrative and character customization fans expect from the best RPGs. And we've added something new that we've always wanted from the genre -- a fast-paced, graphically stimulating action combat experience with fluid control and immersive, discoverable gameplay fans haven't seen before in other fantasy RPGs."

The first trailer for the game, directed by McFarlane, will debut at Comic-Con on Thursday. We'll have it up for you as soon as it's available. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is being developed for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows PCs.

Sharkey says: The title is certainly a mouthful, but I can't wait to see what this team has been working on. I have no doubt the storyline and fantasy world will be epic, but now I'm especially intrigued by the combat system. Hopefully we'll learn more about it at Comic-Con.

Kinect will be $150, include game

2010-07-22T00:20:00.001+08:00

Ending a month of speculation, Microsoft today announced pricing for Kinect, its innovative gamepad-less motion control system for the Xbox 360, and it’ll go on sale this fall for -- are you ready? -- $149.99.

The news might have come as more of a surprise if the price hadn’t been widely advertised on a number of retail websites over the last few months. Including Microsoft’s. Oops.

Nevertheless, there were still some (small) surprises in Microsoft’s announcement. Kinect games will retail at $49.99, instead of the $59.99 more typical of Xbox 360 releases -- and the basic Kinect unit will come bundled with multiplayer outdoor game Kinect Adventures.

But if you’re in the market for a new Xbox, and you’re curious about this Kinect business, we’d suggest not taking the plunge just yet. Instead, hold out for fall, when Microsoft will release a bundle that includes the just-announced 4 GB Xbox 360, together with the Kinect hardware and Kinect Adventures, for $299, a $50 saving on buying the kit individually. And while $150 seems rather steep for an unproven control system, we can see that bundle turning up under plenty of trees this holiday season.Microsoft also took the wraps off a new Xbox 360 model, which’ll fill a gap in its range left after the retirement of the old-style Xbox Arcade. The new unit will match the design of the new “slim” Xbox 360 announced in June, but will come with 4 GB of internal storage instead of a hard drive, and a matt black finish. It’ll set you back $200 -- $100 cheaper than the hard drive-equipped model. Expect to be showing up in stores next month.

Get Your PC Ready for Starcraft 2

2010-07-21T23:43:00.002+08:00

Every so often, a PC game comes along that forces you to power down the consoles for a while. A PC game so good it makes you hang up the sticks and break out the wireless mouse. A PC game so great, so exciting, that you have to head over to that YouTube box on your desk and figure out if the old dust magnet can still run with the big boys.

After 12 long years, Starcraft 2 has come, and it’s time to get prepared.

Any experienced warrior will tell you -- you don't go into battle with untested gear. Whether you need to upgrade your PC, buy a new gaming rig out of the box, or even if you want to build one yourself - we've got your back. Let's make sure your PC is five-by-five and ready to roll out on day one of Starcraft 2, when we will walk back out onto that old scarred battlefield, you, and me, and the rest of the world...back into the battle one last time.

With so much going on, Star Craft II can be a intense graphic experience for your Mac or PC.

Minimum System Requirements:

PC: Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7 (Latest Service Packs) with DirectX 9.0c
2.6 GHz Pentium IV or equivalent AMD Athlon processor
128 MB PCIe NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT or ATI Radeon 9800 PRO video card or better

Mac: Mac OS X 10.5.8, 10.6.2 or newer
Intel Processor
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT or ATI Radeon X1600 or better

PC/Mac: 12 GB available HD space
1 GB RAM (1.5 GB required for Windows Vista/Windows 7 users, 2 GB for Mac users)
DVD-ROM drive
Broadband Internet connection
1024X720 minimum display resolution

*Note: Due to potential programming changes, the Minimum System Requirements for this game may change over time.

Recommended Specifications:

PC: Windows Vista/Windows 7
Dual Core 2.4Ghz Processor
2 GB RAM
512 MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX or ATI Radeon HD 3870 or better

Mac: Intel Core 2 Duo processor
4 GB system RAM
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT or ATI Radeon HD 4670 or better

The good news: Blizzard knows which side their bread is buttered. Part of the success of the original Starcraft was due to the fact that their system requirements were so reasonable. Almost everyone could play Starcraft, and so almost everyone did. Starcraft 2 follows in those very wise footsteps with some quite reasonable requirements for a brand new PC game.

For example: Woo-hoo, Windows XP forever! I told you the Blizzard overlords wouldn't leave us poor buggers out in the cold. Quick note - XP is listed under minimum system requirements, and should only require 1 GB of RAM, but if you're running Windows Vista or Windows 7 you're going to need a minimum of 1.5 GB of RAM.

If you're unsure exactly what your PC has under the hood, I strongly recommend a site called Can You Run It?The site is quick, safe, and compares your PC specs against the game you're trying to run. It then generates a part-by-part list to tell you where your PC is set, and where it could use a little help.

If you're right on the borderland of play/no-play, don't be afraid to do a little investigating after the verdict comes down. Can You Run It? is a reliable site but it's always best to double check the close calls on your own. When in doubt, check the manual that came with your PC.

That covers the Starcraft 2 prelim. Now it's time to lock & load! We're focusing on PCs here (sorry laptop-gaming weirdos: not everyone has eleventy billion bucks to chuck at a whirring pants-warmer). We'll start with PC rigs that are ready to roll Starcraft 2 right out of the box, and follow that up with individual parts for upgrades and the builders who want to work from scratch.

Premade Rigs

iBUYPOWER Gamer Power A561D3 Gaming Desktop

You get quite a lot of bang for your buck here. Sure, you could ask for a bit more under the hood, but the price is right. If you want to crack some zerg skulls on the cheap, this is the rig for you. $599

Titanium Gamer AMTI9009 Gaming Computer

Another great option for gamers on a budget. Plus it just looks cool. I know that shouldn't matter, but...it does. A great rig with which to shame your friends' computers. $699

Systemax Gaming PC SG-1601

A thousand dollar PC that should be able to handle the max settings on Starcraft 2 with the greatest of ease. 8 GB of RAM and an Intel i5 core. Get ready to lay down the law. You are the lawgiver! $999

iBUYPOWER Chimera 2

If you've been searching for a powerful gaming PC that looks like it was summoned from the underworld by the gods of rock, allow me to introduce the Chimera 2. You're definitely shelling out a little more, but who can put a price on racing flames? Shock & awesome.

$1329 (Selected features may alter price)

Alienware Area-51 ALX Desktop

Okay, at this level you may just be compensating for something. Talk about power overwhelming! This thing will probably run Starcraft 9. $3,999

Self-Builds & Upgrades

Processor & Motherboards

ASUS LGA 1156/ Intel H55/ DDR3 2133OC- mATX Motherboard: If you decide to go with an Intel processor, this is a very decent motherboard to get your Starcraft 2 gaming PC up and running. $95

AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition Callisto: Very solid AMD Dual-Core Processor for running Starcraft 2. Sniff around a bit and you might be able to find this 10-20 dollars cheaper. $111

ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 AMD Motherboard: You can find a cheaper motherboard, but this has a lot of versatility if you're interested in tweaking different builds. $139

Intel Core i5 Processor: To Intel or not to Intel, that is the question! (If you can afford it, you should probably Intel.) $199

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 3.0 GHz 12M L2 Cache 1333MHz FSB LGA775 Quad-Core Processor: Big Mama! If you're interested in the possibility of your PC birthing out Skynet in the middle of your living room, this is definitely the processor for you. $329

Video Cards

PNY VCGGTS2501XPB GeForce GTS 250 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card: The bottom rung on the video card ladder leaves no shame in your game. If you're looking to construct a Starcraft 2 gaming PC under 700 dollars, this is probably the right pick for you. $131

GeForce GTX465 Graphics Card: Solid performance, middle of the road price tag. Not a bad buy. For my money, though, if you're willing to spend 260 dollars, shell out the extra thirty or so and get the Radeon HD 5850. $260

Radeon HD 5850 Video Card: At the 300 dollar range it gets no better than the Radeon HD 5850. If you can afford it, this is definitely the card to grab to keep you gaming through Starcraft 2 and well into the future. $294

Sapphire Radeon HD 5970 ATI Video Card: Do you need it? Nope. But you want it. The Sapphire is like the Power Glove. It's so bad. Preach it, Lucas! $599

RAM

PNY OPTIMA 2GB (2x1GB) Dual Channel Kit DDR2 667 MHz PC2-5300 Desktop DIMM Memory Modules: When did RAM get so cheap? Here's 2 GB to put you right at Starcraft 2’s recommended specifications. $39

CORSAIR XMS2 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Desktop Memory Model: 4 GB of RAM for a hundred bucks! See, this is more like the future we were promised as children. Now bring on the hoverboards and sexbots, science. $99

Hard Drives

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKB 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache IDE Ultra ATA100 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive: An inexpensive and proven internal 1 TB of space. Old and reliable. Plus it's a lovely shade of caviar blue that you'll see...once. $74

Western Digital WD Elements 1 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive: A nice external option if you just need to add more space onto an existing rig. $75

Western Digital WD Elements 2 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive: A nice external option if you just need to add twice as much space onto an existing rig. $138

Western Digital 2TB SATA Green Power eco-friendly Hard Drive: Reduced power consumption. As long as you're putting together a merciless killbot to frag noobcakes from all over the planet with extreme prejudice - why not make it eco-friendly? $139

Ready To Roll Out!

Phew, we're done. Way to get your game face on, playa! The problem stood before us like a hungry ultralisk -- and we tore through it like a hot Yamato Gun. Nothing to do now but clean our guns, light a cigar, and chill a few brews in a cold fusion cooler. Starcraft 2 waits for us just around the corner, and our gaming PCs are good to go from now until the end of time.

Or at least until Star Wars: The Old Republic comes out next year...