Techdy Bear

iPhone 4 - This changes everything. Again.

2010-06-09T21:32:00.000+08:00

There is a nice video about the new iPhone 4 titled " Apple - iPhone 4 - This changes everything. Again" at YouTube. You might want to watch this video.

Once again, Apple redefines what a phone can do. FaceTime brings you phone calls like you've never seen before. Text and images look amazing on the Retina display — the highest-resolution screen ever on a phone. A 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and HD video recording and editing let you shoot and share from anywhere. All on the world's thinnest smartphone.

sources : YouTube

iPhone 4 officially announced!

2010-06-08T11:25:00.002+08:00

At the WWDC 2010, Apple CEO just announced Apple's next-gen iPhone called iPhone 4. The new device comes with a bunch of new features along with the new design you've already seen well in advance in various leaks.

Design-wise the iPhone 4G packs a thin 9.3mm body with a metallic frame encircling the body. That metallic frame also serves as an antenna. Quite interestingly, the iPhone 4 back is also covered by glass much like the display upfront. Apple are reportedly using some new hardened glass that's supposedly way better than plastic. They are calling it engineered glass.

The iPhone 4 uses a microSIM port much like the iPad Wi-Fi+3G and is powered by the same 1GHz Apple A4 platform ensuring extra speedy performance. Available storage capacities for the iPhone 4 are 16GB and 32GB. A secondary microphone caters for active background noise suppression.

The Apple iPhone 4 features a newly developed extra high-resolutions screen called Retina display. It delivers 640 x 960 pixels resolution, which amounts to a staggering pixel density of 326 pixels per inch. The resolution is four times higher than the three iPhones so far, which means application upsamling should be quite easier for software developers. The 800:1 contrast ratio of the new display (a IPS panel) is also four times the previous ones. The iPhone 4 makes use of 5 megapixel camera with LED flash. The sensor of the camera is backside-illuminated, which should probably deliver better highISO performance.

iPhone 4 records 720p HD video at impressive 30 fps. You can edit your movies straight on the iPhone thanks the built-in editor (plus you can use the new iMovie app from the AppStore) and the LED flash doubles as a video light quite expectedly. The video recording also makes use of tap-to-focus.

Sadly, the secondary microphone is not used during video recording so stereo videos are a no-go.

iPhone OS 4 renamed as iOS 4
Next, Apple are renaming the iPhone OS 4 for iOS 4 so they can put the iPhone and the iPad under the same umbrella.

Of course, with the new iOS we also expect to see the new iAds system for incorporating ads into mobile applications. The system will be pioneered on all iOS 4 devices come 1 July.

In the meantime, the iOS 4 will be available as an upgrade to iPhone 3G and 3GS users starting on 21 June. iPod Touch users will also get it - this time for free much like the iPhones. We guess the schedule for the iPad remains September.

iPhone 2G users are not getting the update to iOS 4. At least not officially.

Whoa, did I mention the iPhone 4 also has videocall camera. They call it FaceTime. In 2010 it will only work over Wi-Fi. And it only works iPhone 4 to iPhone 4.

In the US the iPhone 4 16GB will be priced at 199 US dollars while the 32GB will go for 299 US dollars. A new version of iPhone 3GS with 8GB storage will be sold for 99 US dollars.

Pre-orders

Pre-orders for the iPhone 4 start in eight days on 15 June and shipments to US, France, Germany, UK and Japan will begin on 24 June.

18 other countries will get the iPhone 4 in July. In September a total of 88 countries will enjoy the iPhone 4.

Apple are also developing a new line of accessories including a new dock and a new colorful case called Bumpers.

More posts and photos to come, wait patiently! For the time being, you can know more about the iPhone 4 here.

sources : GSM Arena

Charge your phone while riding a bicycle

2010-06-07T18:43:00.000+08:00

Charging your phone while riding a bicycle. Are you joking? Nope, you can charge your phone when you are riding bicycle with Nokia Bicyle Charger Kit.

There is one obvious challenge to offering mobile phones in emerging markets: the availability of electricity to charge a mobile phone. You can’t expect people to be driving around cars with chargers when most in the market might be riding bicycles.

That’s one reason that Nokia has announced the Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit. The kit not only allows a bicycle to charge a phone while they ride it also could create a micro-business for individuals who could offer mobile phone charging services for a fee using a bicycle. For those in non-emerging markets, the solution also introduces a green way to keep your mobile phone charged without having to plug it into the electrical grid.

The kit includes a holder, charger and a small electrical generator which utilizes the movement of the bicycle’s wheels to charge the phone through a 2mm charging jack used on most Nokia phones. The Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit is expected to be available before the end of the year and will be available through select retail locations and online

Get your bicycle ready, we are going to get our phones charged!

sources : Geek.com

Personalize Google homepage with image

2010-06-05T20:58:00.002+08:00

Make your Google homepage feel more like, well, home! Choose your own image or photo to appear as the background to your Google homepage. You can choose an image from your Picasa Web photos, your computer or a Google public gallery.

This feature is distinct from iGoogle, which allows you to further customize your Google homepage with personalized gadgets.

How to add a background image

Sign in to your Google Account in the top right corner of the Google homepage. Don't have one? It's easy to create a Google Account.
Click Change background image in the bottom left corner of the Google homepage.
Choose where to select your background image:
- From my computer: Select an image saved on your computer.
- My Picasa Web photos: Select an image from your Picasa Web Albums.
- Public gallery: Select from public photos featured in Picasa Web Albums.
- Editor's picks: Select from a set of Google recommended images.
Once you've chosen your image, click Select at the bottom of the window. It may take a moment before your new Google homepage background appears.

You can remove your background image at any time by clicking Remove background image in the bottom left corner of the homepage.

Image requirements

When you upload a photo, it is saved as a photo in a new unlisted album in your Picasa Web Albums.

I recommend that you use images that are wider than they are tall (landscape orientation). Images must be at least 800 x 600 pixels and in one of the following formats: .jpeg, .tif, .tiff, .bmp, .gif, .psd (Photoshop), .png, .tga, and selected RAW formats. In Picasa, you can resize photos.

Compatible browsers:

Google Chrome
Internet Explorer 7.x (Windows XP, Windows Vista)
Internet Explorer 8.x (Windows XP, Windows Vista)
Firefox 3.x (Windows XP, Vista, Mac OSX)
Safari 3 (Mac OSX)
Safari 4 (Mac OSX)

To get the full functionality of the feature, make sure you have the latest version of your browser and that you have enabled JavaScript.

sources : Official Google Blog, Geek.com, My Tech Quest

SanDisk G4 & P4 SSD announced

2010-06-04T16:12:00.002+08:00

SanDisk has introduced two new SSD lines at Computex 2010 this week. These are fourth generation solid-state drives meant to cater for desktop PCS, laptops, and ultra-thin devices.

It is meant as a replacement for desktop hard drives offering read speeds of 220MB/s and write speeds of 160MB/s. In terms of storage you get a choice of sizes between 64GB and 256GB. SanDisk is also promising 10 years of PC usage from the 256GB drive based on typical usage.

The second new drive selection is the SanDisk P4 SSD. The P4 is meant for ultra-slim devices and offers between 8GB and 128GB of storage. Read and write performance has not been specified yet. The selling point here is the size of the drive which measures 26.8 x 30 x 3.4 mm and offers support for the ultra-small mSATA mini form factor.

SanDisk hopes the drive will find its way into netbooks, smartbooks, tablets, ultra-thin notebooks, and also printers and set-top boxes.No pricing has been announced as SanDisk is currently shipping samples to OEMs for evaluation. High-volume shipping is expected by Q3 of 2010.

For more information, please read here.

sources : Geek.com

Computer skills according to email address

2010-06-03T13:38:00.000+08:00

You ever wonder what your e-mail address says about your computer knowledge?

Well if you listen to the folks over at The Oatmeal, your e-mail address can say plenty about your computer skills, specifically the domain name.

So in order to spell things out, they put together this simple chart to let you know how well you rate against others, comparatively speaking.

(click to enlarge)

Lets just say if you have an e-mail account with your own domain, chances are you are in pretty good shape with your computer knowledge when compared to the computer skills of other users across the Internet.

If you use an AOL e-mail account, however, maybe not so much.

I'm using Hotmail and I'm indeed using Compaq. Quite brilliant!

sources : Geek.com

Internet Explorer is losing market share

2010-06-02T21:00:00.000+08:00

Internet Explorer continues to lose market share, according to the latest data on browser use trends, with fewer than 6 in 10 people now using Microsoft's web browser.

The latest data from web analytics firm Net Applications shows that fewer than five per cent of web browser users worldwide now use Microsoft's aging Internet Explorer 6.

Chrome is rising

Elsewhere in browser world, Firefox and Opera remain fairly static in terms of user numbers, while Google's Chrome continues to grow the fastest out of all the various browsers on offer.

A closer breakdown of the figures actually reveals that Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 is in fact growing faster than Google Chrome, although that growth is tempered by the massive shift away from Internet Explorer 6.

Between April and May, Internet Explorer dropped 0.26 percentage points overall, from 59.95 per cent to 59.69 per cent, according to Net Applications. In comparison, Chrome was up 0.32 percentage points from 6.73 per cent to 7.05 per cent.

sources : Tech Radar

2 Millions iPads sold in less than 60 days

2010-06-02T08:54:00.000+08:00

On June 31, Apple announced that iPad sales have topped two million in less than 60 days since its launch on April 3!

The multitouch gizmo took off to a strong start, selling an nearly 300,000 units on the launch day. Four weeks later, the Cupertino firm announced sale of a one millionth iPad, beating the original iPhone which took 73 days to achieve the same milestone. The fact that iPad sells better in the US than the Mac (an average 200,000 iPads a week versus about 110,000 Macs a week) prompted analysts to re-ran their spreadsheets. The latest forecast calls for iPad sales in excess of five to eight million units by the end of calendar year 2010.

“Customers around the world are experiencing the magic of iPad, and seem to be loving it as much as we do,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We appreciate their patience, and are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone.

Developers have created over 5,000 exciting new apps for iPad that take advantage of its Multi-Touch user interface, large screen and high-quality graphics. iPad will run almost all of the more than 200,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone or iPod touch.

sources : Apple Press Release, Geek.com

Half-priced Apple iPhone 3GS at Wal-Mart

2010-05-26T11:45:00.003+08:00

A new iPhone, a new price cut. Wal-Mart is cutting the price of the iPhone 3GS down to 97 US dollars.

A price cut just before the launch of a new iPhone is not unusual - the current "old" iPhone, the iPhone 3G with 8GB memory goes for 99 dollars (the 3GS was going for 199 dollars). Now, Wal-Mart is retiring the 3G as the iPhone 3GS is about to become the "old" iPhone.

Steve Jobs himself is giving a keynote in the beginning of June without a doubt announcing iPhone 4G (or HD if that's what they are going for). However, because of all the leaks people pretty much know what to expect from the new generation Apple smartphone.

Anyone not terribly excited about the new features that the iPhone 4G will bring will surely be tempted to snatch an iPhone 3GS at a more affordable price point. The 99 US dollar offer by Walmart features the 16GB built-in memory, but also a catch - a 2 year contract with AT&T.

Still, instead of buying off the leftover iPhone 3GS stock, it'd probably be better to wait a few weeks more and then make the decision. The iPhone 4G will have some pretty sweet features, like a higher-resolution screen and quite possibly 720p video recording.

You can get the half-priced iPhone 3GS from Walmart HERE.

sources : GSM Arena

Apple confirmed attending WWDC'10

2010-05-25T16:58:00.000+08:00

Steve Jobs and co. are confirmed to attend this year's WWDC, with the Apple CEO noting that we "won't be disappointed" about what will be announced at the conference.

7 June is the date set for Apple's World Wide Developers' Conference – a crucial date in any Apple-fanatics' calendar as it usually means new hardware to drool over.

This year's conference is of no exception, considering that Apple's ship as been at its leakiest in 2010, with not one but two iPhone prototypes found.

Apple VS Google

Due to illness, Jobs was not able to attend WWDC in 2009. The job of unveiling the iPhone 3GS went to Phil Schiller instead.

Although it's pretty much a certainty that Jobs at WWDC 2010 will unveil iPhone OS 4.0 and the iPhone 4G – or whatever name Apple ends up giving it – some have been asking questions how much of an impact a new iPhone will have on the market, considering the stranglehold Google has on smartphones at the moment, with its Android OS.

A new iPhone will be unveiled (hopefully).

sources : Tech Radar

Facebook try to right their mistakes

2010-05-24T22:23:00.000+08:00

The CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, has outlined new privacy policies to make the social-networking site "a better place" and right the mistakes made so far.

He explained that: "We've been listening to all the feedback and have been trying to distill it down to the key things we need to improve.

"I'd like to show an improved product rather than just talk about things we might do.

"We're going to be ready to start talking about some of the new things we've built this week. I want to make sure we get this stuff right this time."

Intentions are in the right place

When it comes to privacy, it seems that Zuckerberg hold his hands up, noting : "I know we've made a bunch of mistakes, but my hope at the end of this is that the service ends up in a better place and that people understand that our intentions are in the right place and we respond to the feedback from the people we serve."

Privacy is a PROBLEM

Facebook's biggest problem at the moment is privacy. Zukerberg and co need to radically change people's opinions of the site and make them want to add content, without the fear that it will end up somewhere else without their consent.

sources : Tech Radar

Branson to re-launch Virgin Games

2010-05-23T16:14:00.000+08:00

Richard Branson is set to re-enter the videogame business, with a new online-only service planned to launch at E3 in June.

Richard Branson will be attending E3 in Los Angeles to announce his return to the videogames business.

He originally set up Virgin Games in 1984, which developed and flourished, growing into the legendary (and infamously 'rock-n-roll') publisher Virgin Interactive Entertainment in the 1990s.

Virgin Interactive Entertainment was acquired by Blockbuster in 1994 for $250m, which in turn was bought by Viacom.

VIE reached global revenues of $210 million in 1997 and was a leading global player in the games market, working with a raft of impressive affiliates including Westwood, Bethesda, Capcom, LucasArts, Disney and others.

Virgin's new gaming service set to be unveiled at E3 is said to be looking for partnerships with publishers and content owners. Details beyond that are scarce right now.

Stay tuned for more on the new Virgin Games plans as and when it was launched.

sources : Tech Radar

playable PAC-MAN on Google.com?

2010-05-22T17:46:00.000+08:00

Today, on PAC-MAN’s 30th birthday, you can rediscover some of your 8-bit memories - meet PAC-MAN for the first time through first-ever playable Google doodle.

Google is well-known for changing the design of its main search page logo to celebrate days in history. Today’s logo has to be one of the best yet.

In celebration of PAC-MAN's 30th Anniversary the Google logo has been made to look like a PAC-MAN level complete with ghosts and PAC-MAN. That might not be the best bit, but it’s playable!

To play the game, simply go to google.com during the next 48 hours (because it’s too cool to keep for just one day).

By the way, there is a multiplayer "mode" - you can play with another player on the same keyboard. Just press "Insert Coin" to enjoy it.

Try it now! What's your best level?

sources : Google Blog

Google TV officially introduced

2010-05-21T15:26:00.000+08:00

Google has officially unveiled Google TV at its annual I/O developers conference, a product that it is hoping will change the face of broadcasting and is due to launch sometime in 'Fall 2010'.

Google is billing its efforts as 'when the web meets TV and TV meets the web' and is aiming to bring internet functionality to the traditional TV watching experience, as well as web apps and a specially adapted YouTube user interface called YouTube Leanback.

Google is currently working with partners to produce a specialised input device, and a big part of its plan is 'rethinking the way we access television' - which as you may guess is the integration of search.

Curation of mass information

The demonstration was hampered by problems, but when it worked, Google TV was shown using search to bring back multiple results from web and TV - offering curation of the huge amount of information.

In truth, even without the problems, the user interface looked to be a long way from ideal as yet, with the web TV content playing as you would see it in a browser window, although this will, of course, evolve with the internet.

Google's TV attempts does, of course, tap into some of the better content from the internet - particularly from YouTube, the video giant that it owns.

Hardware

There are key components for anyone wanting to put Google TV in their hardware - which will include Blu-ray players, televisions, consoles and set top boxes - broadband connectivity and ethernet connection, an HDMI out, a strong processor and all input devices must have keyboard and a pointing device.

The vocal search - demoed earlier for Android 2.2 - was also shown, with the phone acting as the input device for the Google TV platform.

That device also allowed people to send videos that they were watching on their handset to their television.

Google TV is built on Android 2.2, with the Chrome browser and with a full Flash 10.1 plugin, which, of course, means that applications will run on the platform - and therefore on your television.

As part of Google TV, Google also showed off YouTube Leanback - which uses the traditional YouTube content, but makes it work in a much more traditional TV-like channel.

sources : Tech Radar

Google Wave available for everyone

2010-05-20T16:09:00.001+08:00

Google has announced that it has officially opened up its Google Wave service to everyone!

Instead of waiting for an invite, users can now access the service straight from the Google homepage.

Google had said back in 2009, that it wanted to make the service available to all by the end of 2010 so it looks like it is ahead of schedule.

Speaking about the news, Google said: "We began previewing Google Wave with individuals and a handful of Google Apps customers six months ago. Since then, Wave has been used in a great many interesting ways.

"It's clear from the invaluable feedback we've received that Wave is a great place to get work done, in particular for teams working together on projects that involve lots of discussion and close coordination."

Potential Wave

While this sounds like Google is excited by Wave's potential, the service has hit some criticism mainly from those who couldn't figure out quite what it was for.

Luckily, Google does point out who will benefit from using Wave, noting that businesses, schools, and creative collaborators will be able to use the collaboration tools within the service.

Almost as if it's pleading, Google also says on its blog: "If you tried Google Wave out a while ago, and found it not quite ready for real use, now is a good time to come back for a second try."

Watch below video, you might be impressed

sources : Tech Radar

Togetherville : social network for children

2010-05-20T13:07:00.001+08:00

Togetherville, a new social network aimed at training six to ten-year-old children how to effectively and safely use social networks has been launched in the US.

Togetherville is a social networking site for children to use, under the watchful gaze of their parents (or their friends' parents).

Where it came from?

The project is the brainchild of Mandeep Singh Dhillon, who wanted to teach his son, Zoraver, how to share photos and more with relatives and friends online.

He didn't want to let his son loose on Facebook, however, so the result was to make a social network of his own. Which is where the original concept behind Togetherville was born.

For children only

Togetherville is for children to use with the help and guidance of their parents. The site has been in private beta for some months now and has now finally been opened to the wider public.

Togetherville lets children learn to navigate an online social network in what is described as "a semi-private environment." The kids can also play games, collaboratively work on art projects, share videos and choose pre-selected comments to make about their friends – the key being that all the content on the site has been vetted by responsible parents beforehand.

"We teach kids from a very early age, never let your identity be online, never let anyone know who you are, but we're teaching some bad things," Mr Dhillon told The New York Times.

If you are under 10, then welcome to your new world - Togetherville.

sources : Tech Radar

YouTube's 5th Birthday !!!

2010-05-19T13:37:00.000+08:00

Some of you might not know that YouTube is celebrating its 5th birthday this month!

Five years ago, after months of late nights, testing and preparation, YouTube’s founders launched the first beta version of YouTube.com in May, with a simple mission : give anyone a place to easily upload their videos and share them with the world. Whether you were an aspiring filmmaker, a politician, a proud parent, or someone who just wanted to connect with something bigger, YouTube became the place where you could broadcast yourself.

Over time, these aspirations have created a vibrant and inspiring community that helped transform a murmur of interest into something far greater than any of us ever could have imagined.

Today, YouTube has crossed another milestone : YouTube exceeds over two billion views a day. That’s nearly double the prime-time audience of all three major U.S. television networks combined.

What started as a site for bedroom vloggers and viral videos has evolved into a global platform that supports HD and 3D, broadcasts entire sports seasons live to 200+ countries. We bring feature films from Hollywood studios and independent filmmakers to far-flung audiences. Activists document social unrest seeking to transform societies, and leading civic and political figures stream interviews to the world.

To celebrate YouTube's birthday, today they are launching the YouTube Five Year channel. There, you’ll find the “My YouTube Story” project which features people from all over describing how YouTube has changed or shaped their lives.

Please add your own story to the mix! You can upload your video here - and it may be selected to appear on the channel’s video wall or map.

(click to enlarge)

sources : YouTube blog

Mass Effect 2 the most popular Xbox game

2010-05-18T14:00:00.002+08:00

Mass Effect 2 is the most popular Xbox 360 game to date, according to the loyal readers of computerandvideogames.com

In my previous post, I told you all that Mass Effect 2 DLC will be available next month. This will be a great news for Mass Effect 2 lovers.

BioWare's classic certainly divided opinions amongst gamers and reviewers at launch, although it has clearly stood the test of time, according to CVG's reader poll.

Top Ten popular Xbox games (as in CVG)

1. Mass Effect 2

The incredibly cinematic sequel treated us to an engrossing universe with brilliant characters, while at the same time improving combat and providing another strong RPG adventure.

2. Halo 3 ODST

Halo's epic forth outing may have essentially been an upgrade of the hugely successful formula, but you guys love it for that and what an upgrade.

3. Fallout 3

The wonderfully atmospheric and massive gameworld put Fallout 3 in a lot of gamers' top five lists. It's an incredibly immersive experience you'll desperately try to hang on to.

4. Orange Box

You might consider this a gaming essential because of Half Life 2 or Portal or Team Fortress 2 ... We think we've made our point.

5. Mass Effect

The RPG integrated a complicated story into a stunning world with unprecedented freedom.

6. Left 4 Dead
There're only four levels and no single player, but somehow the wildly unpredictable and universally applauded co-op that is Left 4 Dead simply doesn't need anything else.

7. Fable II
Fixing the flaws of the first Fable, the charming world of Fable II captivated fans with thought provoking challenges and combat that was simple but satisfying.

8. Gears of War 2
One of the most action packed action games of 2008 with a sophisticated story, expanded multiplayer and stunning visuals.

9. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
The genre defining FPS that is yet to be beaten. The single player was packed full of action and set pieces while the multiplayer set the bar for online gaming

10. GTA IV
The GTA experience was revamped in every way with impressive visuals, an eclectic city and a chaotic multiplayer to create the ultimate sandbox title.

Congrates to Mass Effect 2 and 9 other games who made it to the Top Ten !!!

sources : Tech Radar, CVG

Nokia 5230 : key features & disadvantages

2010-05-17T13:05:00.002+08:00

The Nokia 5230 is the low-end XpressMusic phone from Nokia and regarded as the downgrade version of Nokia 5800.

It is a candybar style phone similar in shape to the 5800 but does not have a secondary camera and is not branded as 'XpressMusic' on the front. The main camera is smaller, at 2 megapixels and connectivity excludes Wi-Fi. This phone operates on the Symbian S60 5th Edition platform.

Key features :

- 3.2" 16M-color TFT LCD 16:9 touchscreen display (360 x 640 pixels)

- Symbian S60 5th edition

- ARM 11 434 MHz CPU, 128MB RAM memory

- Quad-band GSM support

- 3G with HSDPA 3.6Mbps support

- Built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS support; Ovi maps

- 2 megapixel fixed focus camera with and VGA@30fps video

- microSD card memory expansion

- FM radio with RDS

- Bluetooth with A2DP and USB v2.0

- Standard 3.5mm audio jack

- Accelerometer sensor for automatic UI rotation, motion-based gaming and turn-to-mute

- Ovi integration (direct image and video uploads, Ovi Contacts)

- Landscape on-screen virtual QWERTY keyboard

- Excellent audio quality

- Price tag on the cheap side

- Changeable color battery covers (two extra ones available in-box)

- Plectrum dongle available in the retail package

Disadvantages :
- No Wi-Fi support

- Display has poor sunlight legibility

- 3rd party software is still somewhat limited

- Basic camera

- Doesn't charge off its microUSB port

- No smart dialing

- No DivX/XviD video support out of the box

- No TV-out functionality

- No data-cable or memory card in retail package

- No office document viewer

- Poor loudspeaker volume

sources : GSM Arena

Mass Effect 2 DLC available next month

2010-05-16T11:42:00.000+08:00

The new Mass Effect 2 DLC a.k.a Overlord, will be available next month.

Five new level areas and two new Achievements will be available in the upcoming “Overlord” DLC for Mass Effect 2.

First revealed at Electronic Arts’ European Showcase event in London on Wednesday, the DLC has now been detailed and priced on the official Mass Effect 2 website.

According to the website, the DLC will take players a single planet where Commander Shepard has been sent to investigate a Cerberus research facility that’s mysteriously gone silent. The sole survivor, Chief Scientist Archer, tells Shepard that an experiment to fuse a human with a virtual intelligence has incidentally created a dangerous hybrid known as the “VI overlord.” Shepard and his or her team must stop the VI from unleashing Geth across the universe.

No new mates now and in future

No new playable characters will be introduced in the “Overlord.” In fact, according to Mass Effect 2 director Casey Hudson, there will be no new squad mates in any future DLC.

Available in June, the DLC will cost 560 MS Points or 560 Bioware points on the PC.

sources : Geek.com

Skype 5.0 beta with group video calls feature

2010-05-15T09:37:00.000+08:00

On Thursday, Skype's new beta with added conference calling features - Skype 5.0 beta for Windows became available as a free download.

Instead of initiating video calls to just one other recipient, as in the stable version of Skype, you can host video chats for up to five people.

Unfortunately, each of them has to have a Web cam and Skype 5.0 beta installed on a Windows PC in order for video conferencing to work. This limitation could get in testers' ways.

Last week, Skype announced a new set of calling plans to benefit those calling mobile phones.

Not the first to offer

Skype certainly isn't the first to bring video conferencing to everyday users. The free Skype competitor VoxOx and ooVoo offers video conferencing for up to three and six callers, respectively.

Remember that beta software is neither as polished nor as stable as final software, so keep that in mind if you try out Skype 5.0 beta for Windows.

Mac users can expect to see a version of Skype's group video calls for that computing platform later this year.

sources : Crave

new Battefield : Bad Company 2 DLC announced

2010-05-14T19:16:00.000+08:00

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is coming soon and is expanding its multiplayer experience with a 4-player co-operative mode called “Onslaught,” DICE announced Wednesday.

New four multiplayer maps

Onslaught mode takes up to four players across four multiplayer maps – Valparaiso, Atacama Desert, Isla Inocentes, and Nelson Bay – redesigned with new lighting, time of day, and other effects in addition to added vehicles.

Each map has a dedicated gameplay focus. For instance, Atacama Desert requires vehicle warfare while Nelson Bay focuses on infantry assault. Players can compete in squads and check individual progress via the Onslaught leaderboards.

DICE Senior Producer Patrick Bach said in the press release:

"We want to consistently support the over 4 million fans playing the game with new ways to get into multiplayer and also challenge the elite players with new experiences to improve their performance online."

The new mode will be available on the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network soon.

However the DLC has yet to be priced or dated.

So, stay tuned for more info.

sources : Geek.com

No Skype for Windows Phone 7 (for now)

2010-05-14T13:56:00.000+08:00

VoIP provider, Skype is not planning on developing its internet telephony software for Microsoft's forthcoming Windows Phone 7 platform.

Skype VP Dan Neary, the company's Vice President for the Asia Pacific region, has said this week that it's "not developing software for the new Windows Mobile software due later this year."

The Skype man has not elucidated on why this decision has been made. But it is quite a blow for Microsoft, with Skype providing its VoIP app to most other smartphone platforms.

Instead, Neary stressed that Skype was developing new offerings for the iPhone, iPad and Android based phones.

If Skype doesn't appear on Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 then it is a major competitive disadvantage.

However, this is not to say things might change in the future, as this is not an 'official' announcement that Skype is not going to support Microsoft's new mobile platform.

Possibilities

"We explore rigorously opportunities presented by new mobile platforms, and Windows Mobile 7 is no exception. However, we don't discuss future platform developments, and have no further information to offer at this time."

We might not see Skype on Windows Phone 7 any sooner, but I'm sure there will be in future.

sources : Tech Radar

Modern Warfare 2 Resurgence Pack coming June 3

2010-05-14T08:46:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, Activision and Infinity Ward have revealed details of the next Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer map pack.

The full title of the new pack is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Resurgence Pack and you don’t have to wait long to get it as it will be available on June 3rd through Xbox Live.

The Resurgence Pack will contain five maps, but beyond that more details have yet to be released. You can assume that like the Stimulus Pack you are going to have to pay $15 for the download, and it’s probably going to be a mix of new and old maps.

Activision has also decided to celebrate the release by having two Double XP weekends. The first starts on Friday, May 28th. The second on Friday, June 4th.

sources : Geek.com

Assassin's Creed : Brotherhood revealed

2010-05-13T11:20:00.001+08:00

Ubisoft has confirmed the next Assasin's Creed title, and it will be called Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.

After a leaked copy of the games placeholder art surfaced over the internet last week, the company quickly put out the flame and confirmed the image is legit. The back cover of the leaked box art reads:

"Live and breathe as Ezio, now a legendary master assassin, in his struggle against the Templar order. Lead your own brotherhood of Assassins and strike at the heart of the enemy. Rome."

"And for the first time, take part in an innovative multiplayer layer allowing you to embody an assassin of your choosing and define their killing style."

"A never-before-seen online multiplayer experience."

"Lead your own brotherhood of assassins, as Ezio, and conquer Rome."

The placeholder also confirms that the game will be released on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

It also mentions that there will be an exclusive multiplayer character for anyone who pre-orders the game at GameStop. The multiplayer is said to sport “multiple authentic character classes” each with their own “signature weapons and killing moves.”

The game will be available late this year. Stay tuned.

sources : QuickJump