1. Final Fantasy XIII-2

photo credit: katclay

To be released on January 31, this is the sequel of the Final Fantasy XIII. The game provides a darker mood than its predecessor. It involves some interesting elements like time travel in it. Initial reports suggest that the storyline would be a brain bending one.

2. Mass Effect 3

Check out Commander Amanda Shepard fight against aliens, trying to ruin their plans of world invasion. This futuristic game is the last chapter of the story. The game is supposed to release in March 2012.

3. Uncharted: Golden Abyss

photo credit: PopCultureGeek.com

Like the previous games of this series, it’s anticipated that this game too will deal with the adventures similar to Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones. Gamers should look forward for the new touch pad motion sensor of the game console PlayStation Vita. Set to release on 22 Feb.

4. Twisted Metal

Scheduled to be released on the 14th of Feb, the latest version of the game allows four users on the console or 15 players on the internet to wipe out larger number of vehicles than the previous versions.

5. Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D

This is the ported version of the PS2 version of Metal Gear series. The release date of the game has been decided for February.

6. Syndicate

The cyberpunk game is an improved version of the game that was first launched in the year 1993. The release date of this game, a cross between Deus Ex and Crysis, has been fixed on February 21.

7. Halo 4

photo credit: felixtsao

If rumors are to be believed then this game is going to be the first game of a trilogy named Reclaim. The game will be launched in 2012, sometime in its second quarter.

8. Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm

photo credit: My Blue Van

The second of the three series odyssey offers exciting changes, including differences in the multiplayer gaming experience. Around 20 additional singleplayer missions are included in the game. The game will be released in the second quarter of 2012. [Editor's note: Really stoked for this one!]

9. Xcom

Earlier known as X-com, this game is a mix of a tactics game and X-files. Expected date of release is March 6.

10. Minecraft

The game considered one of the best games witnessed is now coming to the Xbox and will support Kinetic too. The second quarter of 2012 has been decided for the release of the game.

11. Far Cry 3

photo credit: shanewarne_60000

The third in the series is set back again in the tropical jungle just like the first game of the series. There is no more specific release date of the game, but it’s promised to be out in 2012.

12. Diablo III

Ending the long wait of gamers, the next sequel of Diablo will be released during 2012. This version is supposed to bring a lot many changes and possibilities in terms of online gaming and game tactics.

13. Metal Gear Solid Rising

To be released sometime during 2012, MGS Rising has been developed with more attention on action and fighting techniques.

14. The Last Guardian

The game was first shown in E3 in 2009 and since then the release of the game has been postponed many times. The developer team now has declared the release of the game in 2012.

15. World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria

The fourth expansion pack of the game World of Warcraft is expected to release in 2012 though there is no confirmation of the date of release yet.

16. Max Payne 3

The sequel to Max Payne 2 will be launched in 2012 after almost 10 years of gap in between. [Hope it's better than the movie!]

17. Hitman: Absolution

photo credit: Symic

The game that came with puzzles and penalties is ready with its new version with a lot of changes and modifications. There is no confirmed news on its date of release so far.

18. Grand Theft Auto V

photo credit: Joe Fakih Gomez Photography

A new version of the controversial game has been developed by Rockstar and is ready for release in 2012.

19. Borderlands 2

With four new heroes and new weapons in a brand new story, the sequel of the hit game of 2009 is ready to be released in 2012.

20. Bioshock Infinite

photo credit: zampano1212

Though it shares the name with Bioshock, it’s not entirely a sequel to the game or its second version. This fresh shooting game set in a dream-like backdrop will be ready to be released sometime in 2012.

With all these games on offer, there’s no doubt that the year 2012 will be exciting and thrilling for gamers. Whether you like to twitch your mind with puzzles or be the savior of the world, all varieties of games will be on your palate to choose from in the coming year. Enjoy!

This post was written by Alia Haley. Alia Haley is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on technology, home designing, luxury and environment. Besides this she is very fond of games. Recently an article on PCI Graphics Card attracted her attention. These days she is busy in writing an article on Android games.

Image: http://gadgetbox.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/14/8792014-htc-rezound-sound-test-its-crisp-and-clear

The HTC Rezound

HTC’s offering impressive specs for the new Rezound, but for the casual consumer this is only the tip of the iceberg. Along with the typical multimedia tools that the new generation of smartphones offers, the Rezound’s presenting itself as an all-in-one swiss army knife. While the 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 1GB or RAM are impressive, and the 16GB of internal storage, mobile hotspot capability handy, this isn’t what’s got me interested in the phone.

With all the features that it possesses, it seems like the Rezound is going against the trend of stick-thin smartphones. HTC does a good job of trimming the fat though, as the edges do taper so the phone feels slimmer than it actually is. Part of the reason for the thicker frame, is the 4.3 inch 720p display and 8 megapixel camera on the back which has 1080p video recording capabilities. So if you’re into blogging, or just simply want to keep memories, you can do this with the new Rezound… in high definition!

I think my favourite part of the $299 USD Rezound package though, is that it comes with your very own pair of Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. If used in your phone, it will automatically enable the Beats audio profile adding the extra kick that music junkie’s crave. So, not only can you enjoy your YouTube videos in 720p quality, you also have the option of listening to them in surround sound!

Overall, HTC’s done a good job of addressing some of the issues from its previous phones. They’ve tried to solve some of the camera issues in earlier devices, and have even suited the Rezound up with a longer lasting battery. The HTC Rezound will be available with a contract price of USD 299.

This post was written by Tsun Ng.

The new Jawbone UP integrates technology into a stylish wristband that will get you moving towards a healthier lifestyle.

Image Source: http://www.ecouterre.com/jawbones-high-tech-up-wristband-encourages-healthy-living/

Features

Keeping with Jawbone’s tradition of fashionable products, the UP wristband’s got a sleek and simple look to it.  Using Bluetooth technology, all the physical activity that you do during the day is monitored and sent to the “LiveUP” app on your smart phone allowing you to track steps taken, calories burned etc. The UP’s not just a one trick pony, though.

The phone synchronization is standard in the new wave of physical exercise products.  However, what sets the UP apart from its competition is the commitment it has to enriching your lifestyle as a whole.  It pairs up with its app to create an interactive food journal for the user.

For example, it’s capable of tracking the amount of sleep that you get, whether it is deep vs. light sleep, amount of time awake or your overall quality of sleep.  So, get rid of that obnoxious ringtone you hate so much, and wake up refreshed with the UP’s silent smart alarm.  The UP’s sleep mode will wake you up as it vibrates on your wrist at the ideal moment in your natural sleep cycle.

With a choice of three sizes and seven different colours, there’s going to be no style compromise for even the most fashion forward individual.

This lifestyle changer will set you back $99, but you know what they say – you’re only given one lease on life.  So, I guess the only real question is.. What are you UP for?

This post was written by Tsun Ng.

Piloted by Doc Brown and Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy (one of my personal favourites), the DeLorean will be outfitted with an iPod dock and nice screen display.

This electric variant of the classic, forever-famous and original flying time machine will be available in 2013 for a retail price of $90,000. For more information, check out the DeLorean Motor Company website.

Microsoft is in the midst of making deals with various cable and satellite providers to stream live TV and Video On Demand (VOD) through Xbox 360 to over 20 countries.

photo credit: Jami3.org

Who Else is Getting on Board?

Currently, Comcast’s XFINITY TV, Verizon’s FiOS TV, HBO, Bravo, Epix, and Syfy are already signed up. And the U.K.’s BBC, Canada’s Rogers On Demand, Televisa in Mexico, ZDF in Germany, Telefonica in Spain, and MediaSet in Italy will join Xbox’s line-up this fall. Best Buy’s CinemaNow and Sony’s Crackle will also be added to the system alongside the already available Netflix, as well as online entertainment and news such as MSNBC, NBC’s “The Today Show.” Other popular channels Dailymotion, iHeartRadio, AlloCine, and TMZ will appear as well. YouTube, Vevo and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fights are also set to be integrated into the Xbox.

With all the big names that will be offered through Xbox, the way we watch TV and play games is about to change for good. Previous set-top boxes, such as Slingbox, Roku and Logitech offer similar solutions, with one thing missing- the gaming element.

Netflix was one of the first companies to enter the market. Since half of their product is streaming movies and only requires an internet connection, it’s easy to imagine that they can stream over gaming consoles. Hulu followed shortly behind Netflix. With the two programs becoming popular enough that people are opting out of cable all together, it’s no surprise that the option of getting your cable through your gaming system is becoming so popular.

Can I Cut the Cord Yet?

With technology heading this direction, it is a surprise that it hasn’t been introduced earlier. You can’t cut the cord completely, however. You still have to have a regular cable subscription, and your device will need to be authenticated in order to run the TV programs. There are separate apps for each of the different subscriptions and with some of the companies you have to buy a hardware kit to get it set up.

So what about a more travel-friendly TV experience? Eventually, television will be more mobile as the computers are becoming smaller. Tablets and notebooks are gaining enough capabilities to process at the same speeds as regular sized computers. It’s reasonable to plan on seeing cable carried around in everything from your TV to your phone. I don’t see the need for a living room entertainment system changing anytime soon. People still prefer to have a big screen at home to curl up to when they aren’t on the go.

Brett is a writer for CableTV.com. He typically writes about Business, entertainment, and sports. You can follow him on Twitter, @TeachFromSLC.

This kind of stuff kills me. (I can be a bit silly sometimes.)

With regards to Tooncasts, I wish I had this kind of stuff when I was a kid. Tooncasts are awesome! I remember as a child, I’d have oodles of fun playing with Lego and running some levels on Donut Boy, but Tooncasts bring on a whole different level of creation and customization.

Basically, with Tooncasts you can put animations of your favourite cartoon characters over included backgrounds. There are also voice clips, ambience objects, and a bunch of other details you can choose to include in the final product.

If you weren’t a fan before you probably won’t be after using this program. If you are a fan though, the little details and nuances that this Tooncast involves are awesome. It’s great to see that they weren’t overlooked.

If you’re not a fan, then imagine your favorite TV show: for example, imagine Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, with the ability to make Carlton do the Carlton dance or Will Smith do his “yaw’m sayin” catch phrase anytime you wanted.

This is what it’s like with the SpongeBob SquarePants Tooncast Studio software. It’s absolutely hilarious to use, and a joy to play with the animations and sound files.

There are a huge variety of characters, ranging from a bunch of SpongeBob animations (which look hilarious) to random Bikini Bottom residents.

The Tooncast Studio features the funny nasal narrator from the show, who is key for adding the ambience. There are a ton of audio clips of SpongeBob or Patrick’s unique lines, as well as lines from a wide array of other characters. SpongeBob does sound kind of different from the voice on the show, but that might just be me.

I kind of wished for more – for example, text-to-voice would be hilarious if we could make SpongeBob say whatever we wanted. (Granted, that might be abused, especially with kids.)

It’s surprising how sophisticated the interface was. Granted, the guide does go through a lot of the features, and it was kind of quick for me to figure out as I’d been using Flash for a while too. That said, I’m not too certain that it’s as simple as it could be – for example, frames are an important concept for the SpongeBob Squarepants Tooncast Studio, and it’s a concept that a lot of kids aren’t yet familiar with.

I also wished they’d made it easier to loop characters. Nonetheless, even with a more complex interface (after all, it is Tooncast software), I still think it’s great and it really opens up the possibilities.

If you’re even remotely a fan of SpongeBob you’ve absolutely got to give this a look. It’d be great for your kids to make cartoons with, if they’re fans of the show and don’t mind the interface. Check out the SpongeBob Squarepants Tooncast Studio.

photo credit: ciron810

When I heard the Mac Mini got a refresh several days ago, I had to take a look. Seems like Engadget did too, and the final verdict showed benchmarks of this year’s mini crushing last years. That said, the Mac Mini 2011 is a bit lacking in RAM.

According to iFixit, the RAM shouldn’t be too hard to remove and replace. According to the Apple Mac Mini guide, there should be two slots, which means that all you’d need to do is buy some Mac RAM online and replace the default piece — a relatively inexpensive upgrade if you do it yourself.

Naturally, the Mac Mini is a great PC to have on hand. It runs OS X, which automatically grants me (and a lot of other users) a huge aesthetic overhaul and a definite plus. Truth be told, it’s not for everyone — for example, my cousin says the spinning beach ball makes him feel like a kid and he thinks its an insult to his intelligence. I personally love OS X and the software available, as well as the way things work (I miss my .dmg files), and I think that the Mac Mini would be a great addition to my current workstation.

The 2011 edition of the Mac Mini doesn’t have an optical drive strangely enough, which means no DVDs (let alone Blu-Rays), which kind of makes it obsolete as a home theater PC (HTPC). I wouldn’t mind using it, but I’d hate switching inputs between my DVD player and this thing, especially if it was supposed to make my life easier! It doesn’t have an internal TV tuner either — alas, with both these items, the Mac Mini would’ve been perfect as an HTPC.

Nonetheless, if you’ve been thinking of getting a Mac and want to test the waters before diving with both feet in, the Mac Mini might be a smart investment to get yourself into.

Today, I want to introduce a new speaker — although I didn’t know too much about him, when Daniel Scocco tells me to watch a video, I watch it.

Les Brown was born with his twin brother on the floor of an abandoned house. He was adopted and suffered through poverty and went through school known as the dumb twin, and failed two years of school. He’s a great speaker, and if I had the chance to embed his video into CutEdge I would.

Have a look at the full free Les Brown Live Full, Die Empty video that Daniel Scocco was gracious enough to share:

http://www.gscvideos.com/?seed=lesbrown

If you like it, head on over to Daily Blog Tips and give him a holler. I’m not sure how long this offer is going to last, so watch it while you get a chance! Here are just a couple of the quotes that jumped out at me:

Life is a fight for territory. Once you stop fighting for what you want, what you don’t want will automatically take over.

Someone’s opinion of you does not have to become your reality.

His suggestion to start reading something positive everyday also really jumped out at me, and his analogy of language being the software of mind is certainly an interesting concept. If everything that Les Brown says is indeed true, I have great respect for him — this is the guy who pushed himself to his fullest potential because he wanted to take care of his mother, and because he wanted to do more than just pray while his mother was going through her battle with cancer.

If you’re curious about buying the DVD, you can either buy one or download a copy at Les Brown‘s website.

Photo Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/73344134@N00/5538366232/

The answer to these questions all lie with stock images (also known as microstock).

Stock images, or royalty-free images, are in huge demand. Since blogs and other methods of sharing online have become more widespread, so has the demand for images that aren’t copyright-protected. There are some great free ways to find stock images (Photo Dropper and SXC.hu are two of my favorites), but if you want the high-quality stuff you’re going to have to pay some good dollar for it.

What is Fotolia?

Let me illustrate Fotolia’s service with an example: You just started making some chump change mowing people’s lawns. You want to post fliers up around the neighbourhood. You don’t have the resources to hire a graphic designer yet though, so all you’re left with is a trial version of Photoshop and that 2.0 megapixel camera on your BlackBerry.

But whose lawn are you going to take a picture of? Does that image quality represent your business well?

Instead of doing that, you can download a high-quality, high-resolution image from Fotolia, and use it in your poster/business card. Best of all, it’s affordable and totally legitimate to use.

All these beautiful lawns!

Fotolia is a microstock service that provides stock-free images, video clips, illustrations, and vectors. Basically, members pay for one of these types of files to use in their own creations. For example, directors might use a transition video clip that they purchased from Fotolia in their documentary.

Members can also choose to upload their own image files and clips and sell them through Fotolia. This provides amateur photographers and hobbyists a great opportunity to do what they love, and helps support them. Sounds good so far.

Downloading Images with Fotolia

Fotolia’s image quality is certainly up to par with standard stock image sites. From the images I’ve downloaded, I can definitely say that I love the uniqueness and the wide scope that Fotolia has to offer. That said, you’re going to have to cough up a good amount of money for higher-resolutions. If you just want a smaller-sized image for your business card that’s not a big deal (I’d still recommend an M size) – if you want an image for a poster though, it might be.

Fotolia allows you to pay for images either using a subscription system, where you buy a plan and are allowed to download a certain number of images a day, or through a system where you buy their own currency – called credits. The more credits you buy in one sitting, the cheaper each credit will cost. If you plan to buy credits, you might also want to have a look at Fotolia Promo Codes.

Here are the standard rates of Fotolia:

Comparatively, I looked at iStockphoto, a competing stock photography service. Their credits are noticeably more expensive than Fotolia.

This comes as a surprise to me, because their standard rates are pretty similar:

There are a great amount of pictures available on Fotolia, which means that your money won’t be put to poor use. Of course, if you want to try it out initially, I’d definitely recommend starting off with a small amount of credits, especially if you’re running on a tight budget. Also, you can use the search function without having to purchase credits, so give that a look and see

Download speeds will depend on your own Internet Service Provider (ISP)’s speed; I’ve found mine to be excellent, which means Fotolias upload speed isn’t shabby.

What if you want to go wild while you download images? What if you download five at once? There’s this great feature in the Cart, which if you request, sends you an e-mail of a .zip file if you buy more than one image at once – that means all five will be sent in a compressed file, and can be downloaded within 48 hours. Don’t forget to download it! (I learned the hard way.)

Fotolia’s User Interface

Although not as modern or streamlined as iStockphoto, I think that Fotolias interface serves its purpose very well. It highlights and draws your attention appropriately — for example, if you haven’t selected a license in a cart, it will highlight the text in red. My eyes dart right to it every time.

I like the green and grey color scheme, but I think that there’s a bit too much white space. All the white space makes me kind of bored — but that’s a subjective call.

One useful, although a bit creepy, feature enables you to find photos of the same model. It’s pretty useful if you find that the model suits your aesthetic tastes but has a funny pose or is wearing something too informal. Conversely, if you find a model too serious in a photo, you’ll likely be able to find photos of him or her looking a lot more expressive.

Selling Photos on Fotolia

How about the flip side? Is it possible to make some good money by selling your photos on Fotolia?

You bet.

One of mine actually just got accepted a couple of days ago, and I’m excited to see how it’ll perform. Fotolia’s been pretty prompt with it. (Don’t mind the dates — they weren’t reviewing my submissions yet because I hadn’t finished filling out a form that I didn’t know existed.)

Ever wonder if you’re speaking to this lovely lady when you’re on the help line with your web hosting company?

It’s doubtful. Now you know where a lot of companies get their images from, and why they’re allowed to do it! Even better — you now know where to find useful resources to help represent your company in a more professional light.

Fotolia is a great service with a wide variety of high-quality images available. As you’ve seen in this review, doing even five minutes of due diligence will amount to you saving a lot of money — take advantage of Fotolia’s search function and know which images you’re going to buy before you spend money on those credits.

Photo Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26728047@N05/5976786511/ (Ironically my Fotolia subscription ran out so I couldn’t grab an image that I would haeveliked to feature.)

The Jawbone Jambox is one of the most conveniently-sized, classy set of speakers I’ve yet to lay my eyes on. I haven’t had the chance to test them out personally, but this review at PC World gave it glowing remarks regarding sound quality. I can imagine the Jambox being quite easy to carry around, and it certainly is quite nice to look at.

The interesting thing about the Jambox is its connection to devices: it uses Bluetooth to get the data, which means that it can connect to more devices simultaneously, while also retains a certain sense of flexibility. In the case that Bluetooth connection is a bit iffy, there is also a good ol’ stereo jack for wired connections.

The Jambox comes in four variants. Retailing at around USD$199, it’s at the steeper end of the iPod speaker dock continuum. Nonetheless, you get what you pay for — and with the Jambox, I think you can expect to receive your money’s worth.

Via: Jawbone