Avid players of Tetris are no doubt aware of the obvious advantages of the ‘line piece’, which can often be used to clear many layers if set up properly. However, sometimes waiting for it while you have the perfect set-up can be a little frustrating, and makes one wonder if, perhaps, there IS a God controlling the pieces. And he enjoys seeing you fail. So, go ahead, watch it and die laughing!

That is until you started playing it, I only got to level 4 before my spinning head and brain got the best of me. People with motion sickness beware as it may incur dizziness and even result in hurling out your prior meals. The retro music and even a pictured classic NES adds to the old school atmosphere. Really brings back years of memories.

In spite of that, it’s really cool to see someone give a fresh twist to the good ol’ brick based game. Really brilliant. Give it a shot at First-Person Tetris

]]>

Gawker and Valleywag on the other hand is still pretty calm about this, keeping the offer open to the public as long as they do not ‘break any laws’. Makes me wonder how would anyone disclose a computer secret without breaking the law? Perhaps I would need enlightening on that as I am no legal eagle or claim to be an expert on international trade law.

Now.. Gawker is attracting a lot of publicity on this… let’s hope the Foxconn employees don’t read anything about this Scavenger Hunt for information.. another death or two is bad for publicity…

Via Valleywag

]]>

Guard Dog Class

A fan actually came out with such an excellent idea of a guard dog class, that Valve had decided to commend it via a letter from Saxton Hale. Click here to check out the weapons, abilities, and a complete set of achievement icons and hats for the Guard Dog class.

Demoman in Street Fighter IV

BioGenx2b’s other work include El Fuerte as the Scout, Zangief as the Heavy and Vega as the Sniper. But I’ve got to say, his Demoman totally nail it.

Meet the Pyro

avemagnadude showed us just how far you can push the Blender engine. Impeccable modeling and animation of the Pyro class. Well, if you do play Team Fortress 2, you can find them on steam by the name of FROHMAN[T][F][A]. I sure did play with them sometime ago, anyway…

…more Pyro love below. Two videos, done by my fellow TF2 clanmate, Psyrabbit, that will entice you to ditch the noob style of W + Mouse1 and adopt the clever use of air compression. Believe me, after learning to burn, blow, and chop/shotgun from him, I have never look at the Pyro class the same way again.
TF2 Pyro Compressed Air Crowd Control

By the way, I’m the scout that killed him in that video, muahahaha.

TF2 Pyro – An Airblast Addiction

Still, some upgrades and news is better than nothing at all. Stay tuned for the latest updates from Apple and keep refreshing that Store link!

So Google has announced Chrome OS. That’s good news for Microsoft haters who are only too eager to sling some mud at Redmond and start casting their doomsday predictions for Windows. After all, the claims that Google are making on paper (hint hint: on PAPER)are nothing short of every computer newbie’s dreams come true: Imagine a future where the Web rules supreme, where the desktop and notebook PCs don’t matter anymore, every single application is hosted and executed from within the ‘cloud’, and more importantly, software is no longer OS-tied, which means that you don’t have to shell out 3-figure sums of Yusof bin Ishaks just to get that OS just so that you can play that brand-spanking new game or to get the latest kickass 3D animated office productivity suite for impressing your bosses during presentations.

On top of that, cloud computing claims to be much more secure than traditional OSes because the data is stored by a ‘reputable and trustworthy’ company, and much lighter, since the OS will be as bare as possible: after all, the point of a Cloud OS is to move everything into the ‘cloud’, freeing up all that precious local space for other more important things.

Such is the future of computing, or so it seems to be.

Sure, that sounds nice and all. and in fact, we are already seeing signs of such things happening in home computing. Examples of such cases are:

- We use online storage providers to house away some of our most precious files so that they are easily retrievable should we ever erase them from our hard disks in a moment of folly.

- We prefer to read e-books online as opposed to actually downloading the book.

- Watching videos via online streams instead of actually buying the DVD and watching it proper on the DVD player or on the PC.

- Using online tools like Google Docs instead of Microsoft Office or OpenOffice.

…and the list goes on and on.

Now, take all of that, and add on the following lofty ambitions of cloud computing of having all applications and documents stored online in a vast array of online servers, with a cloud OS serving as the seamless go-between between a PC/mobile internet device and the vast amounts of data stored in those servers, for free.

If anything, that should get Redmond all flustered up. Such is the power of the WWW.

Of course, cloud-computing does have a few ‘minor’ kinks to work out along the way. You know, those ‘one-off’ cases which people will usually classify as something no ‘ordinary home user’ would do. Simple stuff like, for example:

- editing a 6MB image file over the cloud, or making cuts and modifications to a 100+MB video clip. After all, in the future of computing, everybody’s assuming that no user will be crazy enough to work with such big files anymore. Those who do so must be so ‘outdated’ and ‘timewasters’ to not adopt the inferior quality, small filesize web-optimized standards. Tsk tsk.

- installing drivers. Apparently, the future of computing seems to predict that nobody will ever build or customize their own PCs anymore and that everyone will use 1 generic PC with only 1 set of hardware configurations, since geekdom will be dead by then, and its philosophy nothing more than ancient relics of the past.

- assuming that the web does not have an ‘off’ button. Whopps, i just crashed the network of online data servers. Now the world can cease doing business for a week or so. Let’s all go catch up with our families, shall we?

Yep, just a few minor issues to solve, no biggie. Microsoft would do well to start fretting about its future in in the home desktop market, and they should do so very soon, because that’s how serious things are looking for them.

If fact, it’s so serious that Redmond should consider putting the major  issue of the Chrome logo bearing the same colors as the Windows logo as their top priority first before calling upon their OS development team to brainstorm about making any changes to their Windows OS lineup to keep up with the times.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs returns to give the keynote speech for this year’s special event, much to the delight of the audience. For those of you who haven’t seen the keynote, here’s the link. Or if you haven’t the time, here’s our summary:

It has been a long time since anyone’s seen one of the  greatest showman on Earth work his magic. So, when the Man himself did show up, it’s only natural to welcome him with thunderous applause and a standing ovation. Steve Jobs, who recently underwent a liver transplant, kicked off the event by thanking the donor and the company for helping him tide over this difficult period. Then there’s the obligatory list of impressive statistics achieved by Apple. And since we all love statistics, here’s a complete list:

Apple has, by this special event, managed to

• sell 30 million iPhones in 2 years.
• have 75 000 apps in the app store, with 1.8 billion apps downloaded. About a third of those apps (21 000) are games.
• become the number 1 music retailer worldwide, with a staggering 8.5 billion songs sold.
• have 100 million accounts with credit cards on iTunes.
• sell 220 million iPods.
• achieve 73.8% market share of the MP3 player market in the US.

Very, very impressive and it looks like these numbers would continue increase after this event.

What’s new

iPhone

• Unsurprisingly, iPhone OS 3.1, available for free for iPhone and iPod Touch users. 3.1 will also boast features like:
• Genius apps, which recommends apps which go best with the current apps in your iPhone. Similar to Genius for songs.
• Ringtones now available at USD$1.29 from the iTunes store. Meh. Why can’t Apple just let us put our own?!

iTunes

The announcement of iTunes 9 will bring evolutionary changes to how we use iTunes. And they are:

• Genius mixes. Works like your Genius playlist, but creates mixes of your songs. Kinda like a radio.
• Improved syncing for better music and photo management. You can now sync with Events and Faces if you have a Mac. Also, you can manually manage the apps in your iPhone/Touch via iTunes. Meaning you can do stuff like rearrange apps, add/delete apps and even change positions of your app page. Neat.
• Home sharing (OMG Yes!) allows the user to copy music, movies and TV shows from 5 authorised computers. It also has a handy feature not which shows you the stuff currently not in your library, making syncing a breeze.
• A redesigned iTunes store with a ‘cleaner’ look and a wish list included. Too bad iTunes is still not available in Singapore.
• iTunes LP. Specially for die-hard fans, purchasing an LP gives you not only the album of your favourite band/singer, it also includes interviews, line notes, photos etc. Definitely a treat for them. Apple will also make the tools for doing this available to artistes and labels.

iPod Touch

• now up to 50% faster.
• OpenGL 2.0. Hurray for better graphics!
• now costs the ‘magical’ USD$199 for 8GB. $299 for 32GB (up from 16GB) and $399 for 64GB (up from 32GB)

iPod Classic

The iPod Classic receives a memory uppgrade to 160GB at the same price of $249.

iPod Shuffle

• now comes in black, silver, pink, green and blue
• now costs $59 for 2GB. For $20 more you get double the memory. And for another $20 more, you get a ’special edition’ stainless steel Shuffle. What a way to milk money off fanboys.
• since fans weren’t happy that they could not use their own headphones with the new Shuffle (due to the controls being integrated into the crappy bundled earphones. The reason why Apple made such a blunder still escapes me.), Apple also announced that an adaptor for the Shuffle that will allow any headphones to be connected will be made available by 3rd party manufacturers.

The One More Thing?

A ‘free’ video camera integrated into the new iPod Nano, videos taken can then be uploaded to youtube through iTunes, making clear Apple’s intention to challenge video cameras like the Flip video. The full specs are:

• 640×480 video camera, with up to 30fps.
• mic and speaker.
• Voiceover.
• FM radio (Something the iPod Touch doesn’t have!).
• Voice recorder, which should be natural since a mic is already included.
• Pedometer.

The 8GB model will retail for $149 and you get double the capacity for an additional $30.

Our thoughts

Expect sales of the Nano to surge and Apple capturing more of the MP3 player market share. The addition of FM radio, voice recorder and video camera makes the Nano the most fully featured MP3 player on the market. Coupled with the number 1 music retailer worldwide (iTunes), the Nano is truly a force to be reckoned with.

Others

It seems like Steve Jobs is leaving the usual company bashing to subordinates like Phil Schiller now, who mentioned long time rival Microsoft’s 1.1% market share compared to Apples 73.8%. He then went on to poke fun at Dell (yep, the iPod Touch is the only personal computer that can fit in your pocket!), going so far as to compare the Touch to Sony’s PSP and Nintendo’s DS, citing the Touch’s 21 000+ games compared to 3 680 for the DS and 607 for the PSP.

When Project “Renaissance” was set up in 2008 to re-think the implemention of the user interface in Sun’s popular open-source office suite, OpenOffice, no one saw this coming.

After all, considering just how much negative attention the Ribbon in Office 2007 received, it’s almost impossible to even imagine it being used in any other application except Microsoft’s own programs, even though Big Brother MS has stated that it will licence the ribbon to anybody who wants to use it in their applications.

Not surprisingly, user reaction to the new ‘feature’ was mixed, although it appears that the ‘nays’ far outnumber the ‘yays’.

You can see some of the comments that have been made with regards to the whole ribbon issue:

One of the reasons why I hate MS Office 2007it’s that no sense interface… at list I think It could be a good idea to let to the user choose the interface…
- f3rny

“The ribbon is for absolute morons. In fact I use OpenOffice at work because they moved to Office 2007 and I just can’t stand that STUPID interface for idiots. OpenOffice needs to stop trying to be Office and just grow it’s own set of balls and be itself.
- talkimposter”

There were some who approved of the change, though.

I seem to like the ribbon, find it useful at times with Office 2k7. It will make the transision from office to open office easier for my old lady.
– Richard Niemand

Perhaps it might be a good time to point out that the design is still not finalized: for all we know, the next OpenOffice build may or may not feature the Ribbon interface. But while we’re on the whole Ribbon issue, here is something that may see OpenOffice’s efforts at making its own Ribbon interface end pre-maturely, because, according to big brother Microsoft:, who has filed a patent on the Ribbon UI:

There’s only one limitation: if you are building a program which directly competes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, or Access (the Microsoft applications with the new UI), you can’t obtain the royalty-free license.

Make what of it you will.

And, just for the record, this writer belongs to the camp that believes that the Ribbon UI is one heck of a decent and time-saving interface which Microsoft came up with, since it was the key feature of Office 2007 which convinced him to drop OpenOffice and return back to the Microsoft fold.

The good source

This is an excellent action figure, amazingly detailed and highly articulated with 20 points of articulation which allows him to strike a wide variety of poses.

He comes with an extra gauntlet for holding his sword Masamune. This action figure is 22cm tall and his sword is a whooping 26cm long.

Furthermore, this is the only sephiroth figure so far that comes with his trademark one wing which gives his nickname ‘one-winged angel’. The face is also well sculpted and Sephiroth’s hair is half painted silver with the lower half being translucent white.

My only gripe with this figure is the limited posability of the right arm which can only turn away from the body about 20 degrees. Still its not much of a big deal as the sheer number of poses Sephiroth is still capable of making. I will definitely recommend anyone interested in collecting figures to add this one to your collection.

“On a lot of benchmarks you will get more performance benefits to put an SSD into a laptop than having a discrete graphics card… This accelerate dramatically the user experience.”

.

Except that SSDs still command an astronomical price premium over their more traditional counterparts, not to mention that said traditional HDDs are still heavily thought of to have much longer lifespans than SSDs since the latter has a limit on the read-write cycles it can take before the onboard flash memory starts wearing out.

Of course, we also understand that Intel is all keen to set the bar for people who are eagerly speculating about the capabilities of Larrabee, since this will mark Intel’s re-entry into the graphics market, although there has to be something said about setting the bar too high for a product that is still a few months away from release.

Still, ATI and Nvidia will do well to keep their hands on the insecticide or fly-swatter: this Larrabee is definitely no Laughabee, and judging by the looks of it, Intel’s little bee seems all posed to inflict one heck of a nasty sting.

The good source

It is now two months before the slated Oct 22 launch of Windows 7 but thanks to NUS School of Computing (SoC) and their partnership with the Academic Alliance with Microsoft Developer Network (MSDNAA), I have a copy of Windows 7 Professional installed on my laptop. NOT RTM, NOT RC, NOT BETA, but a full working copy that comes with a cd-key!

So I decided to take the dive and did an upgrade from my Vista Business installed on my Lenovo X61 and 2 hours later, here it is!

I have been using it for a day now and here are some good stuff that i like about Windows 7:

It’s Pretty

The revamped taskbar now only shows the icons of the open programs that really works very well on my small 12″ 1024 x 768 screen. Clicking on the icons will show a preview of the open tabs or documents (if you have Aero turned on). No more cluttered taskbar! Check out the new icons on the tray, it makes Windows look so much simpler now. Clicking on the wireless tray icon instantly shows all available networks instead of opening another window like XP or Vista. The Action Center (flag icon) consolidates all the irritating Windows notifications into one place, making the tray more streamlined too.

The Aero interface now allows you to snap windows to the left and right for side-by-side comparison, and allows you to peek at your desktop by moving the mouse to the bottom-right corner. All these add additional usability to the OS and that would make Windows so much more of a joy to use.

It’s Fast

Windows 7 is fast. From booting the OS to opening files, everything seems so much faster. I’ve only used it for a day and it MIGHT seem too quick to judge it’s performance. I’ll keep this post updated.

It’s Simple

Look at the 3rd icon on the taskbar. Thats the Library. Basically, a Library sorta like a folder that you can add the contents of other folders. Click on it and it will show all the contents of the various folders that you added to the Library. It comes preconfigured with Documents, Music, Pictures and Videos but you can add your own folders of course. This works well with Windows Search (indexed search service) where libraries can be quickly searched for files.

Compatibility isn’t an issue too, the upgrade went smoothly, and all the drivers I have previously installed are still there and working with the exception of my onboard graphics. However, Intel has already released a Windows 7 version of the driver. There is also a feature called XP Mode that comes with Professional – a compatibility mode that actually runs through a Virtual Machine (VM). That would surely solve all compatibility problems!

Now, as with all OSes, there are definitely some drawbacks, but none of them are that serious, yet.

Power issues

Microsoft claimed that Windows 7 saves more power. However, after a day of usage, it seems that my wattage reading is always higher than what I used to get in Vista. At first, the harddisk kept its activity even though I was idle, so i turned off indexing and it saved me some power. Turn off Aero and it seems like it would save me some power too. BUT if I do, then I would render Windows Search useless, and there would be no more pretty previews.. then what’s the point of having Windows 7?!

Driver issues

So far I only have one minor driver issue regarding the On-Screen Display, and the rest are all Vista drivers. I haven’t really tested stuff like graphics (by the way Windows 7 comes with DirectX 11) but I hope that future releases of Windows 7 drivers will improve performance or decrease power consumption.

For all you Mac-Lovers/Windows-Haters

Yes, I KNOW you all are going to say “That’s SO Mac, and so much uglier.” and somehow, I totally agree with you guys. The taskbar now functions like the Dock,  and a much uglier one without cool animations. The desktop-peek and window-snap serves the same purpose as Expose and the Gadgets are like the Dashboard. I’m not going to start the classic Windows vs. Mac war here, but hey, isn’t imitation the best form of flattery? Don’t blame MS for copying something that would make their customer’s experience better!

Bottom Line

Buy. (Or download if you’re from SoC). This is one OS definetely worth putting your money on. Vista was CRAP. We all know it, and Windows 7 is Microsoft’s way of compensating for it IMO.

Linus Torvalds (and Tux) should be a very happy person if he sees this table.

After all, the Linux kernel he wrote which originally started out as nothing more than a hobby has always been poking at Microsoft like a thorn that refuses to go away.

And that thorn has seemingly become a nail now that Linux has finally managed to carve out for itself a 1% share in the OS pie.

Of course, from the face of it, 1% means nothing compared to big brother Microsoft’s almost untouchable 93%, but if anything, it just highlights the fact that people are slowly starting to tire of the incumbent Windows and are now trying their hand at other OSes.

And the fact that most Linux distributions are well known to have some of the lowest resource consumptions ever known definitely do not bode well for Microsoft, especially when one can install a copy of most Linux distros for slightly less than 4GB of HDD space with just about everything already included, like an office suite, printer and scanner drivers, BT and chat clients, as opposed to Windows Vista’s 10GB that comes with pretty much nothing else but the barebones OS.

In fact, let’s not even go into the hardware requirements of Windows Vista lest we embarrass Microsoft even more (even if that was not our intention)

But because migration to Linux commands the steepest learning curve as opposed to other operating systems, it is quite safe to say that the very mention of Linux should be tantamount to holding up a big sign with the words ‘NOT FOR NEWBIES’ printed in huge caps. If you want an example of just how steep the curve is, let’s just say that command-line knowledge is a must.

This screenshot was taken not with the Prnt Scrn button, but through the command line. And this is barely
even the tip of the iceberg.

Besides, Windows is still pretty much the face of the entire global computing ecosystem, so don’t even for one second start thinking that Microsoft and Windows will collapse any time soon, because they definitely aren’t.

Still, Microsoft better not get complacent. Sure, Windows 7 is good and all based on what we have seen from the beta and RC, but muck it up 1 more time and we might just see a huge unprecedented shift in OS market share.

No such thing as sitting back anymore, Microsoft. The war has arrived at your turf.

*Information about OS market share was retrieved from http://marketshare.hitslink.com/os-market-share.aspx?qprid=9.

Singapore’s free wireless service, Wireless@SG, has just received a speed upgrade from 512kbps to a more respectable 1mbps.  1.3 million subscribers now have reason to rejoice, as the previous 512kbps have been plagued by problems like dropped connections and (relatively) slow surfing speeds. Also, at 1mbps, more bandwidth-consuming net applications like video streaming are now possible.

Operators SingTel, Qmax and iCell are not stopping here, however. New features are on the way to improve user experience:

• Seamless and Secure Access (SSA) will automatically log the user back in during a dropped connection, which is pretty neat.
• Wireless@SG Dashboard which gives you access to Wireless@SG applications and services.
• Location Based Services by third party applications.

Looks like we can now see more people watching youtube in cafes and shopping malls. Maybe even playing WoW. I kid.

About Wireless@SG

A free wireless service available in most cafes, shopping malls and other public facilities. Users just need to have an account (signing up is free) with one of the three operators, SingTel, Qmax and iCell in order  to use it.

[via Straits Times]

“Nothing else comes close” in grabbing the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) commuters’ attention. Erm, okay maybe not as it seems like the commuters in the photo are staring into blank space, playing with their phone or simply napping away. Well anyway…

That’s right F1 is back in Singapore for the 2nd time, and it will be held at Marina Bay Street Circuit from 25th Sept to 27th Sept. There will be live performances by Backstreet Boys, Chaka Khan and many more.

More information @ singaporegp.sg

Maybe Nintendo can try to advertise their next Mario Kart game in the exact same fashion. Just throw in some banana skins onto the track and they’re good to go.

In the blink of an eye, Blizzcon has come and gone. And this year is no less exciting than the last, with Ozzy Ozbourne rocking the stage at their closing ceremony. Blizzard also did not disappoint eager fans awaiting news of the Blizzard Triumvirate (Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo).

World of Warcraft

WoW fans all over the world had reason to rejoice as most of the speculation regarding Blizzard’s new expansion came true. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has been officially confirmed and will bring apocalyptic changes to WoW. Among them:

• New Alliance race: Worgen
• New Horde race: Goblin
• Level cap raised to 85
• New profession: Archaeology
• Flying mounts enabled in Azeroth
• Remaking of some classic zones. E.g. the  Barrens will be divided into 2 due to [insert Chuck Norris joke]
• Some classic instances (like Deadmines) will be given Heroic mode.
• New zones, namely Uldum (about damn time!), Grim Batol and Vashj’ir.
• More quests.
• More race/class combinations
• New guild advancement system which gives you access to goodies like mass resurrection and reduced durability as you advance as a guild
• New battlegrounds and arenas for the PvP oriented
• Revamped combat mechanics for Warlocks and Hunters. Soul shards will now be like runes for Deathknights. You get 3 at the start of combat and will regenerate when out of combat. Mana is removed from hunters and replaced by Focus which is something like energy for Rogues.

Diablo 3

Blizzard announced a new class: the Monk. Like its pen-and-paper counterpart, the Monk relies on his agility and combos to win. Which is similar to the Rogue in WoW. It is also said to be a harder class to master and therefore more suitable for veteran players.

Starcraft 2

We get a more or less confirmed release date for Starcraft 2 which is the first quarter of 2010. The reason? New features for Battle.net. The new Battle.net will add:

• achievements
• persistent character profile (meaning if you don’t log on your character for an extended period, it won’t be deleted). It will show your match history, win/lose record and other stats
• New matchmaking system which divides players into leagues after a certain amount of matches. This will ensure that you are playing against an opponent of similar level of skill
• Integrating the Triumvirate together into one single community. Players would be able to communicate with one another across games
• New premium map feature which allows mod creators to charge money f0r their work (a portion of which goes to Blizzard)

These new features look awfully similar to Steam, which is not a bad thing.

Did I just see a Tauren Ret Paladin and Desolace filled in greenery? O.O

Features in World of WarCraft Cataclysm

* Two New Playable Races: Adventure as one of two new races—the cursed worgen with the Alliance or the resourceful goblins with the Horde.
* Level Cap Increased to 85: Earn new abilities, tap into new talents, and progress through the path system, a new way for players to improve characters.
* Classic Zones Remade: Familiar zones across the original continents of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms have been altered forever and updated with new content, from the devastated Badlands to the broken Barrens, which has been sundered in two.
* New High-Level Zones: Explore newly opened parts of the world, including Uldum, Grim Batol, and the great Sunken City of Vashj’ir beneath the sea.
* More Raid Content than Ever Before: Enjoy more high-level raid content than previous expansions, with optional more challenging versions of all encounters.
* New Race and Class Combinations: Explore Azeroth as a gnome priest, blood elf warrior, or one of the other never-before-available race and class combinations.
* Guild Advancement: Progress as a guild to earn guild levels and guild achievements.
* New PvP Zone & Rated Battlegrounds: Take on PvP objectives and daily quests on Tol Barad Island, a new Wintergrasp-like zone, and wage war in all-new rated Battlegrounds.
* Archaeology: Master a new secondary profession to unearth valuable artifacts and earn unique rewards.
* Flying Mounts in Azeroth: Explore Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms like never before.

More @ the official site

Seen at a shop in Sweden, this T-shirt actually detects Wi-fi zones. How does this work? I don’t really know because I don’t understand moonspeak Swedish…yet, but from what I know it needs 2 AAA batteries to emit the bling. You have to remove them for washing, of course.

More for geek cred than anything else, this shirt will set you back SGD$40.

Ladies and gentlemen, the months of speculation and rumours can finally end as Sony finally announces the Playstation 3 slim during GamesCon on Tuesday, coming to our stores as soon as the beginning of September! Feast your eyes on this new model which is about 30% smaller and lighter than the current Playstation 3. Best of all, a new price! The PS3 slim, which come in only a 120gb model for now, will be released at $299usd, €299 and ¥29,980($460 ~ $610 sgd) at their respective places. Sony will also adjust their prices for the current models of PS3 accordingly.

Enough talk, feast your eyes on the PS3 slim on this unpacking video, which shows some of the differences between the PS3 slim and the current PS3.

[via Kotaku and Gamasutra] Official image from Sony

Logitech’s new top of the line racing wheel, the G27, is set to replace the aging but excellent G25. It comes with all the bells and whistles of its predecessor with a few notable differences.

• more buttons.
• using a helical gear system instead of the spur gear system present in the G25, which translates to quieter handling.
• improved gear shifter and pedals.
• LED indicators to alert you when to shift gears.

In a word, awesome. Racing aficionados will surely dig this USD$299 wheel.

[via Blogitech]

[via Kotaku]

STGCC 09 Official Website

Gallery and highlights below.

[View with PicLens]

1234►

As weeks go by, the rumours of the slim brother of the Playstation 3’s impending arrival just get more and more numerous. Here is another sign that point towards the PS3 slim.

According to MCV, UK retailers have been informed by Sony that they will not get any new stock of the PS3 until September, confirmed by “two of the UK’s leading retailers”.  Apparently “Sony is clearing PS3 hardware stock from the channel ahead of what is expected to be a new price point introduced from early September.”

Hopefully, all rumours will be laid to rest this coming Tuesday(Aug 18) when Sony is expected to give information on the price cut, and maybe unveil the PS3 slim. All fingers crossed now.

[Kotaku]

Now, many other companies would be flamed for bringing back old content but never Blizzard and World of Warcraft. No doubt many Wow players would have never experienced the epic 40 man raids of Onyxia and in that sense Blizzard seems to be changing it’s focus to that of the casual gamer. Expect more achievements for the hardcore raider along with the requisite unique pets/mounts/titles that comes with said achievements. This time, Blizzard will let players have a chance as riding an Onyxia Broodling as 310% mount. Expect the usual cheers and jeers from casuals and hardcore raiders respectively.

Would you come back just for another go at Onyxia? Or.. are you are looking forward to Starcraft 2 or Diablo 3 or the next big MMO from Blizzard.

The full announcement is as follows.

She has lurked in her lair and done battle with the many brave adventurers who travelled to that familiar location over the years. Now, in honor of the World of Warcraft 5-year anniversary, the dreaded brood mother Onyxia is being revamped to make a return to the forefront of Azeroth, as part of our big plans for the upcoming 3.2.2 content patch.

This permanent update to Onyxia will convert the dungeon into 10- and 25-player modes. We will be adding new items to Onyxia’s loot table that have the same model as some of the classic loot from this dungeon, like Tier 2 helms, with stats updated to match the current level of content. There will be a special new item too: a normal drake-sized 310% speed flying mount modeled after Onyxia herself called an Onyxia Broodling. We will also be updating the encounter mechanics to be more fitting for modern raiding, but we can guarantee players will get to experience the frightening horror of deep breaths once again.

Then for a limited time, after the 5-year anniversary event officially begins in November, anybody who logs in will receive an Onyxia Brood Whelpling pet.

We’re very excited to bring this classic encounter back to provide a fun new experience for both new and veteran players. Further details will be available in the near future, and we will be setting up the Public Test Realms soon to help test out this fight along with all the new content we have planned for the patch. Keep an eye on the forums for updates!

Pic from Techspot.

The Zune HD will come with a 3.3inch multitouch display and wifi along with 720p video output making it the first true HD PMP. Microsoft is possibly one of a select group with the financial clout and technical know-out to edge Apple from their vice-like grip of the MP3 and PMP market and it shows in the Zune’s features and design.

Apple, you better get your price cuts ready, Microsoft is certainly going for the jugular.

Gizmodo

]]>