RotPod http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod Gaming and Tech News, the way you want it Sat, 08 Jan 2011 21:27:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 © admin@rotpod.com () admin@rotpod.com() 1440 Gaming and Tech News, the way you want it admin@rotpod.com No no http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg RotPod http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod 144 144 40.453131-74.482874rotpodbloghttp://feedburner.google.com Hands on with the Thrustmaster T500RS http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/hands-on-with-the-thrustmaster-t500rs/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/hands-on-with-the-thrustmaster-t500rs/#comments Sat, 08 Jan 2011 21:27:21 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=2150 Thrustmaster3

Gran Turismo fans probably already use one of Logitech’s racing wheels with the newest installation of the series, Gran Turismo 5.  After all, the Logitech Driving Force GT wheel has been the official racing wheel of Gran Turismo 5 since Gran Turismo 5 Prologue released almost 3 years ago.  A few months ago, Thrustmaster announced that it was tapped by Polyphony Digital to make a new flagship peripheral for Gran Turismo 5.  The new wheel by Thrustmaster features a powerful motor for strong and realistic force feedback, large metal paddle shifters, and the addition of a dedicated clutch pedal.  Strangely, the horn button at the center of the wheel and the real time adjustment knob and buttons have been removed.

Thrustmaster1The quality is top notch; I tried the wheel out on one of the game’s rally circuits.  The demo was set with a strong centering force so turning the wheel to quite some effort.  Every rock on the dirt road could be felt through the wheel.  I don’t think the motor in the Logitech Driving Force GT could twist the wheel out of my hands like this one could.

Thrustmaster2The pedals are also metal and have a very realistic response and feel.  The pedals can be used in either a suspended GT style or a floor mounted F1 style.  Thrustmaster did not have the optional stick shift attachment for the wheel at CES because Gran Turismo 5 does not support clutch pedals just yet.  Thrustmaster confirmed that an update for clutch pedal and stick shift peripherals is on the way.  The wheel is scheduled to launch later this year with a price of approximately $600 without the stick shift attachment.  The Logitech Driving Force GT remains to be supported and recommended for Gran Turismo 5 but for those seeking the very best driving simulation money can buy in the gaming market, the Thrustmaster T500RS is a good place to look.

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This morning CEO of Ford Motor Company, Alan Mulally, introduced the Ford Focus Electric.  The vehicle is Ford’s first full production electric vehicle.  The Focus Electric has the same basic shape as the regular gasoline engine version of the vehicle and seats 5.  The car is powered by a liquid cooled lithium ion battery pack with a capacity of 23kilowatt hours.  The battery can be fully charged within 3 hours when charged from a 240 volt source.  The Focus Electric can reach a top speed of 84mph but the speedometer in the demonstration unit went up to 120mph.  An official range of the vehicle on a single charge was not released but Ford hinted that it may be up to 100 miles on a full charge depending on terrain and driving style.  Fully loaded, the Focus Electric has a leather interior, Sony sound system, Microsoft Sync, and a new service from Ford called MyFordMobile.  MyFordMobile will allow users to interface with the vehicle from smartphones running iOS and Android operating systems.  Users can control when the Focus Electric charges to minimize utility costs.  MyFordMobile will be  free for the first five years.  The car also has a strong cloud presence with synchronized navigation bookmarks.  Something not seen in other vehicles before is the addition of driving achievements.  To unlock achievements, drivers must complete certain goals such as braking in an efficient manner or reducing their carbon footprint by one ton.

In order to accommodated electric vehicles on the road, Ford pledged to build 12,000 new charging stations over the next 18 months across the United States.  These new charging stations are said to be compatible with other electric vehicles from other manufacturers.  For the home chargers, Ford announced Best Buy’s Geek Squad service would handle sales and installation of the in home chargers.

No release date was announced.

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/ford-announces-focus-electric/feed/ 3 Suiting Up with the HAL Exoskeleton http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/suiting-up-with-the-hal-exoskeleton/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/suiting-up-with-the-hal-exoskeleton/#comments Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:11:36 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=2140 HAL1Over the past several years we have seen a wide variety of robotic exoskeleton concepts such as the military oriented unit from Sarcos and the HybridAssistiveLimb unit from Tsukuba University and Cyberdyne Inc. in Japan.  Fortunately, Cyberdyne  brought their HAL exoskeleton to CES for the first time this year.  The HAL exoskeleton is being commercialized in Japan this year for use by people with mobility disabilities in the legs.  Although the exoskeleton is being marketed as a rehabilitation device, the exoskeleton may be capable of enhancing the users strength tenfold.  For now, only the exoskeleton for the legs was available for demonstration as the upper body portion is still in development.  To control the exoskeleton, the user wears a set of electrodes which detect electrical impulses from nerves in the  legs.  When the user attempts to move their limbs, the system detects the corresponding nerve activity and activates the motors in the exoskeleton.  Even if the user does not have the strength to completely move their leg, the exoskeleton detects the nerve activity and allows the user full movement.

I was allowed to try controlling the exoskeleton leg sections with the nerves in my arms.  A simple strap is fitted around a muscle along with another electrode further down the arm to act as a reference.  As I raised my arm, the leg motors in the exoskeleton reacted and moved.  Normally, physical therapy sessions are required to get the HAL exoskeleton customized for the user so it was tricky to get the leg to stay between it’s fully open and closed positions.  The most impressive part of the demonstration was the ability to control the robotic leg without actually moving my arm.

The HAL system is powered by an interchangeable and rechargeable battery pack mounted on the lower back.  For normal walking, the HAL exoskeleton has sensors in the foot holder to detect the user’s stride.

With no availability dates set outside of Japan, a Cyberdyne representative expected to see HAL available in parts of Europe and eventually North America perhaps next year.

HAL2

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/suiting-up-with-the-hal-exoskeleton/feed/ 3 Microsoft Shows AvatarKinect at CES Keynote http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/microsoft-shows-avatarkinect-at-ces-keynote/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/microsoft-shows-avatarkinect-at-ces-keynote/#comments Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:50:52 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=2136 AvatarKinectSteve Ballmer emphasized three important branches of Microsoft’s products and services.  These are of course Xbox 360, Windows Phone 7, and Windows 7.  During his overview of Xbox 360 and Kinect’s incredible success over the holiday season, Ballmer told everyone that Kinect was projected to sell 5 million units but had in fact sold 8 million.  After this, Ballmer showed what Kinect will allow people to do in 2011.  Among Kinect’s new uses is AvatarKinect, a service available to Xbox Live Gold Members that allows people to control their Xbox Live Avatars using Kinect with very high detail.  Things such as facial expressions and hand gestures can be tracked by Kinect and shown on the Xbox Live Avatar.  Microsoft showed AvatarKinect being used in chat style program combining voice conferencing and Avatar interaction.  Microsoft plans on making AvatarKinect available later this year.

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/microsoft-shows-avatarkinect-at-ces-keynote/feed/ 2 Panasonic Shows Vierra Tablet http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/panasonic-shows-vierra-tablet/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/panasonic-shows-vierra-tablet/#comments Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:35:45 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=2128 Vierra2Earlier today at the Panasonic press conference, Panasonic showed a tablet that they are working to release later this year.  Yes, we know, it seems like everyone is showing tablets this CES.  Like many other tablets shown today, the Vierra tablet is Android based.  The tablet is designed to be used with a variety of services available on Panasonic’s Vierra televisions such as IPTV content, controlling the Vierra television, and web browsing.  Details on the Vierra tablet were scarce with no official pricing information.  The tablet was scheduled to be announced in Japan at a later time.

Panasonic did not hesitate to flex it’s manufacturing muscle by showing off new manufacturing plants for flat panel displays.  As a result, Panasonic showed a new series of LED backlit LCD 3DTVs.  These televisions are aimed towards gamers who what to take advantage of 3D with shutter glasses.

Vierra1Vierra3

Vierra4

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/panasonic-shows-vierra-tablet/feed/ 0 Casio Announces TRYX Camera and Aims to Redefine Digital Art http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/casio-announces-tryx-camera-and-aims-to-redefine-digital-art/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/casio-announces-tryx-camera-and-aims-to-redefine-digital-art/#comments Wed, 05 Jan 2011 22:43:01 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=2124 CASIO TRYXThis afternoon at Casio’s press conference in the Venetian Hotel, Casio announced two new products which they hope will redefine how people use digital photography.  The first thing they announced is a server based service called Casio Imaging Square.  This new service allows people to make their images look more artistic.  At first I was skeptical as some of the sample images shown looked like simple image filters that you see with webcam software everyday.  However, some of the other images looked like what would take many hours tinkering in Photoshop.  President and CEO of Casio, Kazuo Kashio emphasized that these effects are not simple filters are something completely new.  Casio Imaging Square is not limited to just Casio cameras and said that their service could be used with other images.  Casio also showed that they were planning a printing service which would allow people to order prints of pictures that they had created in Digital Imaging Square.  However, I overheard a Casio representative talking to another member of the press say that Casio had no plans on making their printing service available in North America.

After announcing Digital Imaging Square, Casio unvieled their new TRYX camera.  TRYX, which seems to be just a catchy name, is a small digital camera with a unique body design which allows the camera to be flipped and used in many different situations.  The camera features a 12.1 megapixel sensor, 21mm wide angle fixed focus lens, 3 inch touch screen, and a built in micro HDMI port.  Casio says the camera is capable of full HD 1920×1080 recording as well as a high speed movie mode capable of up to 240FPS.  I got to use the TRYX briefly with what appeared to be prototype software.  TRYX is scheduled to be launched sometime this year.  With no official price announced, I overheard a Casio representative say the camera would be available for approximately $250 USD which makes it a solid upgrade over the cellphone camera you always have with you.

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/casio-announces-tryx-camera-and-aims-to-redefine-digital-art/feed/ 0 Android Phones May Send SMS to Wrong Number http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/android-phones-may-send-sms-to-wrong-number/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/android-phones-may-send-sms-to-wrong-number/#comments Sat, 01 Jan 2011 20:51:22 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=2119 google-android

According to a new issue in the Android section of the Google Code site, SMS messages may be sent to the wrong phone number.  Details on this problem are scarce and RotPod has never experienced this issue ourselves, but this is serious for any Android user.  The issue has been starred by nearly 4000 Google Accounts and the page is riddled with hundreds of people complaining that this happens on a regular basis.  The issue was reported to Google having occurred on a Nexus One device running Android 2.2 Froyo.  It’s quite alarming that something like this can still be a problem given Android’s ever growing market share and popularity.  (Although, I was also surprised by the Apple iPhone alarm issue during the transition from DST)  Let us know if this has happened to you in the comments.

Source

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/android-phones-may-send-sms-to-wrong-number/feed/ 0 Why Mark Lamia shot Viktor Reznov at E3 2010 http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/why-mark-lamia-shot-viktor-reznov-at-e3-2010/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/why-mark-lamia-shot-viktor-reznov-at-e3-2010/#comments Sat, 01 Jan 2011 20:27:37 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=2108 Call of Duty Black Ops at E3 2010[SPOILER ALERT] If you haven’t played through the Call of Duty Black Ops campaign get ready for major spoilers in the way of plot.
It may seem like a long time ago by now, but do remember the Call of Duty Black Ops gameplay demo during the Microsoft keynote presentation?  Mark Lamia was showing off one of the levels that take place in Vietnam, specifically the segment when you start in a tunnel as you make you way towards a helicopter to decimate the countryside.  Early on, a friendly character jumps down and startles the player.  Lamia, who was playing the game live in front of the audience shoots the friendly character to which the other character leading the way turns around and says something along the lines of “What the hell is wrong with you?”.  At the time upon watching this, I was impressed with the level of scripting Treyarch had put into friendly fire situations like this.
Fast forward to November when Black Ops was released.  I had been playing the game and got up to the same tunnel segment.  Having remembered Lamia being startled causing friendly fire, I knew to watch out for Reznov.  Just as I expected, Reznov jumped down, but what happened next threw me off.  The same character leading away still turned around and said, “What the hell is wrong with you?”.  I was confused because I hadn’t shot Reznov.
Now, if you’ve finished the campaign, you know that Reznov is all in Mason’s head.  As this is revealed, the game actually goes back to the tunnel scene and replays your comrade asking what’s wrong with you.  Now it became clear that Lamia shot Reznov during the E3 demo to protect the plot.   It’s still entirely possible that Lamia shot Reznov thinking he was an enemy, but as he’s the studio head at Treyarch, I think it’s more likely he was trying to prevent spoilers before the game’s release.

Black-Ops

[SPOILER ALERT] If you haven’t played through the Call of Duty Black Ops campaign yet get ready for major spoilers in the way of plot.

It may seem like a long time ago by now, but do remember the Call of Duty Black Ops gameplay demo during the Microsoft keynote presentation?  Mark Lamia was showing off one of the levels that take place in Vietnam, specifically the segment when you start in a tunnel as you make you way towards a helicopter to decimate the countryside.  Early on, a friendly character jumps down and startles the player.  Lamia, who was playing the game live in front of the audience shoots the friendly character to which the other character leading the way turns around and says something along the lines of “What the hell is wrong with you?”.  At the time upon watching this, I was impressed with the level of scripting Treyarch had put into friendly fire situations like this.

Fast forward to November when Black Ops was released.  I had been playing the game and got up to the same tunnel segment.  Having remembered Lamia being startled and causing friendly fire, I knew to watch out for Reznov.  Just as I expected, Reznov jumped down, but what happened next threw me off.  The same character leading away still turned around and said, “What the hell is wrong with you?” just the same.  I was confused because I hadn’t shot Reznov.

Now, if you’ve finished the campaign, you know that Reznov is all in Mason’s head.  As this is revealed, the game actually goes back to the tunnel scene and replays your comrade asking what’s wrong with you.  Now it became clear that Lamia shot Reznov during the E3 demo to protect the plot.   It’s still entirely possible that Lamia shot Reznov thinking he was an enemy, but as he’s the studio head at Treyarch, I think it’s more likely he was trying to prevent spoilers before the game’s release.

You can see it all go down at the 45 second mark in the video below courtesy of Machinima.

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/why-mark-lamia-shot-viktor-reznov-at-e3-2010/feed/ 1 GTX 480 and GTX 470 Cards Named http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/gtx-480-and-gtx-470-cards-named/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/gtx-480-and-gtx-470-cards-named/#comments Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:35:30 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=2105

For those of you who have been waiting to Nvidia to enter catch up to the Direct X 11 market, you will be pleased to know Nvidia is launching their first GF100 based graphics cards probably by the end of Q1 2010.  The first two cards have been named the GeForce GTX 480 and GTX 470, completely skipping over the 300’s.  Nvidia’s GeForce 300 series GPU’s are currently marketed to the less demanding consumer/gamer.  We can’t wait to get our hands on the GTX  480 and see how it holds up to the competition from ATI.  [Source]

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/gtx-480-and-gtx-470-cards-named/feed/ 4 CES 2010: Mass Effect silently added to Steam http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/mass-effect-silently-added-to-steam/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/mass-effect-silently-added-to-steam/#comments Sat, 09 Jan 2010 05:39:47 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=2090
Mass Effect 2

Today while I was talking with a couple of developers from Bioware, I asked about digital distribution on the PC.  They told me that they recently secured a deal with Steam for Mass Effect 2.  A quick search in the Steam Store reveals that Mass Effect 2 will be available on Steam in time for the January 26 release date.  The only thing missing is a price and whether or not a preload will be available for the next installment of the sci-fi saga.

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/mass-effect-silently-added-to-steam/feed/ 1 CES 2010: Xbox Live Game Room hands on impressions http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/xbox-live-game-room-hands-on-impressions/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/xbox-live-game-room-hands-on-impressions/#comments Sat, 09 Jan 2010 05:12:06 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=2086 Game Room

After Microsoft announced Game Room at their keynote address at CES, it was only a matter of time before we would get our hands on it.  Contrary to some beliefs, Game Room is nothing like Playstation Home, nope not at all.  In fact, you never take control of your Avatar and navigate the room.  Instead, the camera just goes over each arcade machine as you browse the different classics.  Its actually very nice to use because every arcade machine is organized by platform and every platform has its own little alcove in the Game Room.  I played Centipede and am glad to report that the port to the Xbox platform was very good.  The game appeared to be upscaled so lines and text appeared to be sharp on the HDTV connected to the Xbox 360.  Each game in the Game Room can be played for free before you choose to buy it.  Each game can then be played like classic arcade machines by costing 50 Microsoft Points per game.  If you want to buy a game for the Xbox 360, each will cost approximately 240 Microsoft Points.  Since Game Room is also available on Windows, each game can be bought for 400 Microsoft Points, granting access for Xbox 360 Game Room and Game Room on Windows.  Game Room is expected to launch on the Xbox Live this Spring 2010.

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/xbox-live-game-room-hands-on-impressions/feed/ 2 CES 2010: Live from Qualcomm CES Keynote http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/live-from-qualcomm-keynote/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/live-from-qualcomm-keynote/#comments Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:05:53 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=2028

Thats all for now, we will be reporting on more stuff as we encounter it on the show floor.

Just checked under my seat if I was a winner.  Not today.  300 people got FloTV’s with 6 months free service.  Theres still a chance that we will get a review unit.

James Brown is praising FLOTV as something that sports fans will be able to enjoy.

James Brown from CBS is on the stage.

FLOTV average user spends 25-30 minutes watching per day.  A whole lot of new sports content is coming.

FLOTV will also be in devices like in-car TV.

Flo-TV will be available on new devices including iPhone and iPod touch!

D-Link Rush technology will allow you to stream multiple HD content to multiple locations simultaneously.  He’s streaming to three seperate HDTV’s from a single router source.  It will be available Q2 2010.

A whole bunch of press just left, is something going on?

One such ultrasound of a pregnant woman is being streamed to the doctor’s iPhone.

One of GE’s echo scanners is on the stage.  It’s showing an image of the doctors heart on the screen.  You can see it beating.  People can do this themselves and send the scans to their doctors and maybe even send it through their phones.

Pixx device is actually monitoring the doctor right now.  It is showing his heart rate, fluid levels, respiration, and even current posture.

They are monitoring a real patient from Texas.  All of his vitals are being displayed on an iPhone.

Zeo sleep monitor is being shown now.  It will record how well you slept. And display your “Zeo score”.

The device monitors all of the patient’s vital signs.

Gary and Mary West Wireless Health Institute has been working to use wireless devices for the healthcare industry.

Healthcare time.

Qualcomm Mirasol creates colors through interference.  It is eInk with full color and full motion video.

Oh boy, I sense an eBook reader coming up.

Qualcomm is is supporting Project K-nect to students in North Carolina.  Most of the students did not have internet access at home.  Grades improved by 30%.

All of these Smartbooks are boasting all-day battery life.

HP’s smartbook has as a touchscreen.  It’s got a custom coverflow style image viewer for the touchscreen.

HP is showing their own Snapdragon Netbook or Smartbook.

One of HP’s VPs is now on stage.

Dr. Paul Jacobs just tweeted on the Skylight.

It’s on AT&T’s network!

It’s running Flash 10 on an ARM based processor!

Lenovo Skylight smartbook announced.  It’s powered by snapdragon.

Yang is holding a Lenovo LePhone.

Two big mobile categories are merging, the smartbook and the smartphone.

“The traditional notebook can no longer satisfy people’s mobile needs.”

Another partner to come on stage.   Lenovo’s Yuanqing Yang!

Snapdragon represents mobility without compromise.

Jacobs mentions Kindle eBook sales.

Qualcomm’s Swagg will be available for next holiday season and will become a mobile transaction platform.

Jacobs is stressing changing the internet from a sit down experience to a carry along experience.

HTC Smart will be on Brew Mobile Platform and AT&T is supporting it.

HTC Smart will run a version of Sense UI.

HTC Smart officially announced.

HTC’s Peter Chou is on the stage holding a Nexus One and a HTC HD2.

Qualcomm will be supporting Chrome OS.

Qualcomm is supporting a while bunch of OS’s.

Dr. Paul Jacobs is on the stage.

Video playing.

I’m sitting down, were about to get started.

Standard CES Keynote intro video is playing.  Tonight is Going to Be a Good Night…

Expecting Gary Shapiro to come out of nowhere again.

Oooh, no Its jason Oxman fron CEA.

Wireless technology is changing our lives…  I think everyone has said that same thing at every keynote.

Paul Jacobs has 35 patents to his name.

Qualcomm is defining the future of wireless.

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/live-from-qualcomm-keynote/feed/ 2 CES 2010: Sonic Walk turns you into a walking stereo http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/sonic-walk-turns-you-into-a-walking-stereos/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/sonic-walk-turns-you-into-a-walking-stereos/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:06:46 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=2020 The Soundwalk
One of the more interesting gadgets I saw today was the Sonic Walk from Creanovative.  The Sonic Walk is a light weight harness that you wear over your shoulders that has two speakers.  I tried one of their water resistant models on the show floor and was pleasantly surprised by the quality and volume of the sound that filled my immediate area.  The speakers are located just in front of the shoulders on each side and are connected to a source through wires embedded in the vest.  The Sonic Walk comes in a variety of models that include different pouches and some even have support for a water bladder. Currently,  the Sonic Walk is available for order online.  I could see obnoxious Segway gliders easily adopting this into their gadget inventory.

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/sonic-walk-turns-you-into-a-walking-stereos/feed/ 1 CES 2010: Peregrine Glove brings more touch to keyboards, gaming http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/peregrine-glove-brings-more-touch-to-keyboards-gaming/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/peregrine-glove-brings-more-touch-to-keyboards-gaming/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:48:24 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=2015 The Peregrine Glove Not AttachedFor those of you who are looking for new innovative computer interfaces, the Peregrine is for you.  The Peregrine is a glove that you wear on your left and that has tiny stainless steel wires on each finger and on the palm of the hand which complete a circuit when the contracts are touched in different patterns.  The Peregrine can also read multiple touches at the same time so it can register multiple contacts for holding down two keys.  The glove has over 30 user recordable actions which can be completely customized for the user.  The Peregrine connects to a computer via a USB cable which is magnetically attached to the actual glove for quick attachment.  One employee boasted that an experienced user of the Peregrine could type at up to 80 WPM.  The Glove is supposedly designed to military standards so it should hold up after lots of use.  While I did not get to wear the glove or see it in actual use, it seemed like an impressive gaming interface that anyone who loves to use macros will enjoy.  The Peregrine glove is available in three sizes for pre-order for 129.99; the Peregrine will retail for 149.99 when it becomes available later this year.  When Peregrine gets their systems up and running, I might go back to try it on.

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/peregrine-glove-brings-more-touch-to-keyboards-gaming/feed/ 1 CES 2010: Live from Ford CES Keynote http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/live-from-ford-ces-keynote/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/live-from-ford-ces-keynote/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:57:10 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=1965 Shuttle got to the hall a little late so I don’t have the best seat.  Stay tuned.


Today the First Trans-Atlantic Phone Call was Made many years ago.Yup, it was today, the first transatlantic telephone call.

Edmunds will announce that the 2010 Ford Taurus has won the technology award for usability and affordability.

CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro is praising 2010 and Ford’s rebound in the consumer market.
IMG_6460
Gary Shapiro has exited the stage in a red Taurus and Alan Mulally has taken the stage.

Ford hit one million cars sold with Microsoft Sync last May 2009.

63% of Sync customers now use voice commands.

Derrick Kuzak has taken the stage to discuss Ford technology.

Ecoboost awarded Breakthrough award from Popular Mechanics.

New Ford Taurus and Taurus SHO have all of Ford’s latest technology.

Selecting a new song on an iPod takes 30.3 seconds average, with Sync, its done in 4.9, without eyes leaving the road.

Ford opening new alliances with over 40 educational institutions.

Sync allowing users to launch and use iPhone apps using Ford’s Sync API.

Sounds like Ford is using student outsourcing.

App: a car turning on headlamps will warn cars around it to expect rain.

“Customers wan the equivalent of a swiss army knife” in terms of technology.

My Ford experience allows users personalization of information that is most relevant to the driver.

IMG_6464

IMG_6466

Jim Buckowski, Director of Electrical and Electronics Systems Engineering has taken the stage.

Ford influenced by game interfaces, devices with great screens, and movies.

Ford thinks people love 5-way controllers with their thumbs.

One shot destinations allow people to enter addresses in one line.

Within three voice commands, Sync will begin to learn the user’s unique voice and accent.

intrgrated Graphics UI, Touch UI, and Voice UI.

My Lincoln touch- a special version for Lincoln, will be unveiled next week. Standard all new Lincoln vehicles starting with the 2011 MKX

THX Sound coming to Lincoln vehicles.

Were getting a look at a demo Lincoln touch UI. Even on the physical inputs, there are no actual buttons, everything is touch sensitive.

Ford already has an app store for their vehicles.

Ford uses your phone’s data connection to send and receive data from the cloud.

2 ways to get navigation assist, turn by turn, free for first three years, or standard maps and GPS. 14 million custom points of interest now available.

Ford forging alliance with Mapquest.  You can send maps and directions to points of interest.

My Ford connect will use built-in WiFi.

Sync browser can only be used while the car is parked.

In car WiFi for up to 5 people in the car.

HD Radio available with in-car song tagging.  Record up to 45 minutes of radio.

Sync will alert you that you have a text message and will read it to you via bluetooth.

Mobile Application Connectivity Package allows people to access phone applications through their cars for all major phone OS’s.

Customers will not have to pay any additional fees for Mobile Application connectivity.

Support for Twitter, Pandora, and Twitter coming to Ford’s touch experience.

Over 8 million Pandora users listen to Pandora while in the car.

People are starting to leave for the show floor.

Pandora can be completely controlled by voice alone, thumb up/down, select station etc…

The Twitter app for Ford experience was developed less than 10 days. Twitter timelines and direct messages can be read to the user.

Alan Mulally is back to wrap things up.

Ford has pursued Ecoboost and hybrid technologies to meet market tastes and demands.

That’s the keynote.  We will be updating as we discover new products on the show floor.

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/live-from-ford-ces-keynote/feed/ 0 CES 2010: Halo has done incredibly well. Duh… http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/halo-has-done-incredibly-well-duh/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/halo-has-done-incredibly-well-duh/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 08:32:10 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=1952 Robert J. Bach praising Halo

To no ones surprise, Halo has been a great success for Microsoft and Bungie.  In case you didn’t already know this, Microsoft’s President of Entertainment and Devices Robert J. Bach listed some statistics that show how well Halo has done as a franchise.

30million30 Million Units Sold

5millionbooks5 Million Books Sold

5millionactionfigures5 Million Action Figures Sold

500000games500,000 Games Played Every Weekend

Oh, and he mentioned a ton of soundtracks sold too.

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/halo-has-done-incredibly-well-duh/feed/ 1 CES 2010: Microsoft announces Game Room http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/microsoft-announces-gameroom/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/microsoft-announces-gameroom/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 08:06:28 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=1945

Microsoft Gameroom

During Microsoft’s keynote address, Entertainment and Devices President Robert Bach revealed Game Room, a service that will allow people to enjoy classic arcade games on their Xbox360 in their native form: the arcade.  Bach introduced Game Room by filling the convention hall with 8-bit sounds from old classics including Centipede, Tempest and Asteroids.  In Game Room, Xbox Live avatars will play in a virtual private arcade filled with classic arcade machines.  Avatars appeared to react to the arcade machines in different ways depending on your scores; a video showed a Avatar kicking the bottom of the an arcade machine.  Game Room will allow Live players experience classic arcade games with new leader boards and other forms of competitive play.  There was no direct word on pricing.  Game Room should be available sometime in 2010 for Xbox Live and Games for Windows Live.  More images after the jump.

A wall of games on GameroomRobert J. Bach Announces Gameroom

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/microsoft-announces-gameroom/feed/ 0 CES 2010: Project Natal gets a rough release date http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/project-natal-gets-a-rough-release-date/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/project-natal-gets-a-rough-release-date/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 07:40:59 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=1942 Project Natal @ CES KeynoteToday after a brief power outage, Steve Ballmer delivered the first keynote address to everyone at CES.  Ballmer focused mainly on the success of the release of Windows 7 despite the hard economic times.  Ballmer showed new Slate computers running full versions of Windows 7.  New 2010 features of Powerpoint were also revealed.  But in Rotpod style, we take great interest in the gaming news.  The President of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices division Robert Bach confirmed that Project Natal for the Xbox 360 will indeed be available for 2010’s holiday season.  Bach was very enthusiastic about 2010 for Microsoft because project Natal will revolutionize the user experience.  Bach explained it’s not about losing the controller, its about creating user interfaces that people find natural.  While Project Natal was not demonstrated on-stage, a video mashup showed developers and product testers praising Natal as the next big thing in the industry.  Microsoft is wisely setting dates for their motion controller because this may contribute to stronger sales leading up to the holiday season.

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/project-natal-gets-a-rough-release-date/feed/ 1 Motorola to Show Two New Phones Next Week? http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/motorola-to-show-two-new-phones-next-week/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/motorola-to-show-two-new-phones-next-week/#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:21:59 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=1939 Motorola may be unveiling two new phones next week at CES in Las Vegas, NV according to Trip Chowdhry, a Global Equites Research analyst.  On top of their flagship Motorola Droid on Verizon, Motorola may be releasing yet another device on the network featuring an OLED screen with no physical keyboard.  Also rumored is a new phone for AT&T featuring an OLED screen as well as a physical keyboard.  The GSM phone may not be running Motorola’s Motoblur UI as seen on the Motorola Cliq, instead opting for the Google Experience as seen on the Motorola Droid.  All should be answered at Motorola’s scheduled event at 5:30PM PST on January 6 2010.

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/motorola-to-show-two-new-phones-next-week/feed/ 2 Were going to CES 2010! http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/were-going-to-ces-2010/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/were-going-to-ces-2010/#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2009 09:54:30 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=1929 Early next year, Rotpod will be expanding by going to CES 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  We will be providing coverage of the latest technologies as they are announced at CES.  While at heart we look for gaming related content, we will be reporting on a wide variety of subjects.  Get ready to read, hear, and watch the coolest gadgets as they are unveiled early next month.

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/were-going-to-ces-2010/feed/ 0 Droid vs iPhone http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/droid-vs-iphone/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/droid-vs-iphone/#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2009 09:51:30 +0000 Elias Tsang http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=1923

It’s been almost 2 months since the first Android 2.0 device hit the market, the Motorola Droid on Verizon Wireless.  Since launch in November, I made the switch to Verizon because the release of the Motorola Droid has finally brought a device to Verizon which has a chance at competing with the iPhone currently available exclusively with AT&T Wireless.  This a comparison of my experiences on both mobile platforms.

I switched back to Verizon mainly because of the solid network Verizon has established across North America.  I spend a good amount of time up north in Canada and AT&T so far doesn’t have a good plan for extended stays.  The best you can do is have your roaming rate reduced.  When you have a device like an iPhone a data plan is a must to keep your sanity.  Fortunately, Verizon offers a North American plan which is easy to switch to when spending a week or two in Canada.  While CDMA Verizon phones are generally useless outside of North America, Verizon has their stuff together when staying within the continent.

Pricing of smartphones with contracts is really not a big issue.  When you are already spending $70+ per month for two years for an unlimited data plan in the US, device pricing with new contracts are insignificant in the long run.  The Motorola Droid is currently priced at $200 with a two year contract on Verizon so it is comparable to a 16GB iPhone 3GS.

OS:

The iPhone OS and Android appeal to different people for different reasons.  The iPhone maintains its speed mainly from only running one app at a time.  Sure there are push notifications and some processes running in the background, but the system is usually focusing on one task at a time.  iPhone OS is dead simple and can be mastered within minutes, you touch an app to start and press the home button when you are done.  Everything is separated, quick, and easy to do on the go.  Android on the other hand puts a lot more control into the consumer’s hands.  Android multitasking especially appealed to me when I discovered I could listen to online radio  like Pandora while browsing the web, all over 3G.  The Android OS manages notifications a lot better than iPhone.  In iPhone OS, when you get a notification, you read it, press ok, and its gone… forever.  And you can only read one notification at a time.  Android manages multiple notifications in a pull down menu and lets you address them one at a time.  IE you can see that you have a new email, Twitter update, and IM reply all at the same time.  So far, Android is a great alternative to iPhone OS.

Apps

Phone’s App Store is both an advantage and a disadvantage.  The iPhone has the best app support around on a mobile platform, period.  If someone is making an app for whatever reason, you can be sure it will be on iPhone.  Skype for example has created a solid mobile (WiFi only albeit ) client for the iPhone which is great VoIP.  Android is still has no official true VoIP clieerent on Android.  The App Store also leads in pure numbers; there are over 100,000 iPhone Apps out there while the Android Market has about 16,000.  But hopefully Android will catch on as more people are buying Android devices on many different carriers.  The disadvantage to the App Store is Apple’s notorious screening process.  PDAnet, an app that allowed internet connection tethering was quickly pulled from the App Store after it was released.  PDAnet along with console emulators and other great software reside peacefully on the Android Market.  iPhone’s App Store has better support, but the Android Market lets you get away with things that would make Apple cry.  One area that is so far lacking on Android is gaming.  Because Android developers are producing for a wide range of devices, most games are dumbed down so that they have very basic hardware requirements.  The iPhone has a rich library of fun games that render very well across iPhone and iPod touch devices.  For basic tools and utilities, the Android market is more than sufficient and Google has many interesting apps that will keep you occupied.  Stay tuned for specific App reviews for iPhone and Android.

The Hardware

At first glance, the Apple iPhone and the Motorola Droid are pretty similar in size.  The iPhone is little thinner and wider and they both have the same over all height.   The Droid makes up for it’s pudginess by packing a full physical qwerty keyboard once the screen is slid to to the side.  The keyboard doesn’t have actual 0-9 keys and relies on an alt button which can thankfully be alt locked.  Other physical differences include a multicolored notification LED in the upper right corner,  a dedicated camera button on lower right side, and four home buttons for the Android OS on the bottom of the screen.  The home buttons are part of the capacitive touch screen and cannot be used with gloves.  Also, the only way to wake up the device is to press the lock button on top or slide the phone open.  The home button placement on the iPhone feels better and is more convenient when whipping it out as everything can be accessed with the thumb of either hand while the four other fingers cradle the device. Pressing the lock button can get awkward for single hand use.  The iPhone 3GS and the Droid share the same ARM processor and it serves both devices very well.

Screen

The screen on the Droid is the best I have seen on a mobile device (people who have used the Nexus One disagree).  The 3.7 inch 854×480 screen makes text look sharp and images crisp.  I struggle to see the individual pixels with the naked eye.  After using the Droid and looking at the iPhone, text on the iPhone actually looks blurrier, and I find myself zooming in on text much more often.  The screen of the Droid multitouch support, however Motorola and Google decided to leave multitouch out of the OS (read keyboard and browser) for reasons unknown. Palm did it with the Pre and hasn’t gotten yelled at.  Anyway, multitouch Android apps in the Market work fine.  For people like me who need multitouch, the Dolphin Browser and Picsay image viewer are decent substitutes for the real thing in the OS.  However, you are stuck with zoom buttons in Google Maps.  Videos encoded at the native screen resolution render beautifully on the screen with the Android Gallery app.  The only complaint I have about video viewing is the four home buttons are backit in the dark and you are forced to stare at them on the side as you watch your movie.  Not a big issue, but a minor inconvenience.

Camera

The camera on the Droid isn’t good for photos but handles videos exceptionally well.  The 5MP camera was plagued with a buggy autofocus until Android 2.0.1.  While the autofocus has since been fixed, the image quality is poor and the colors seem off.  Video on the other hand is great.  It can record at 720×480 at 24fps.  The dual led flash is useful for taking pictures in the dark but honestly you are asking for a nosiefest for using a cell phone camera in the dark to begin with.  The button on the side of the Droid is nice because it allows you to half-press for focus and full-press to take the shot.

Keyboards

The onscreen keyboard takes a bit of getting used to.  The lack of multitouch really begins to become evident when using the onscreen keyboard.  Sometimes I feel like I must slow down my typing because without multitouch, the keyboard cannot keep up with my fingers.  After a week, I adapted.  In my opinion, the iPhone has the best keyboard on a mobile device out of both physical an virtual keyboards.  For people seeking some tactile feedback, there is an app in the Android Market called BetterKeyboard which allows you to use a Blackberry Storm-esque keyboard with a vibration after each click.  Its worth a buy if the Android keyboard really bothers you.

Maps

Android 2.0 introduces voice-to-text functionality and Google’s Navigation Beta for use within the United States.  For finding a way from point A to B is extremely easy.  You just speak the name or address into the device and let Google find it for you and guide you with navigation.  The speech recognition is frighteningly accurate.  Google also supports contextual searching so you could specify the name of a painting, and Google will find the museum with the painting.  The maps application allows the control of map layers so you can see which roads use to avoid traffic or information about your surroundings on Wikipedia.  As mentioned earlier, there is no multitouch for the Maps app, you are stuck with zoom buttons.

Bottom Line:

If you find yourself playing games more often than using tools and utilities on an iPhone, you should probably stay with iPhone.  However, if you want to the ability to micromanage and control everything on your phone, Android may be best for you.

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/droid-vs-iphone/feed/ 7 Live-action Halo:ODST trailer looks like it would make a killer movie. http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/live-action-haloodst-trailer-looks-like-it-would-make-a-killer-movie/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/live-action-haloodst-trailer-looks-like-it-would-make-a-killer-movie/#comments Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:49:05 +0000 Rafi Shamim http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=1916 The next title of the Halo franchise is coming up right around the corner, and the latest trailer is good enough to excite people who’ve never even played any of the games before. Such an awesome trailer has left me at a loss for words, so I’ll just let you all see it right now.

Oh, there is one thing. Please let Peter Jackson’s Halo movie go into production!

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/live-action-haloodst-trailer-looks-like-it-would-make-a-killer-movie/feed/ 2 Is the PS3 Slim enough to reignite the console wars? http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/is-the-ps3-slim-enough-to-reignite-the-console-wars/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/is-the-ps3-slim-enough-to-reignite-the-console-wars/#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:30:20 +0000 Ali Shah http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=1912 Sony_PS3.480

It is no secret that everyone was expecting, or even deserved to see, a drop in the price of the PS3. With a console that started at $599 USD three years ago, everyone was waiting to see when Sony would begin to appeal to the majority of consumers who aren’t willing to drop that much on a video game console. But, the question is now that it has come, is it enough to bring Sony back into the console war?

The PS3 Slim is a console that is going to retail for $299 starting in early September. It will come with a 120GB harddrive and is 34% lighter and smaller than the original PS3; this PS3, however, has a matte finish and no longer features the option for installing a secondary operating system.

The Nintendo Wii has heavily dominated the market and brought countless people who have never played video games into the market, but the Xbox 360 has been the console of choice for most people who can only purchase a single console and want a more adult experience than the Wii. The PS3 has always had the advantage of a built-in BluRay player, but the reasonable price difference that Microsoft has kept between it’s console and the PS3 and exclusive games made the BluRay feature more of an added bonus for buying a PS3 than a true decision changer in choosing a console.

The game changes a bit now that the Xbox 360 Elite, the version of the Xbox that is most comparable to the PS3, is $100 dollars more expensive and lacks a Bluray player. There is still a version of the Xbox 360 at the $299 price-point, but it features a 60GB harddrive unlike the 120GB that is being shipped with the PS3 slim. Rumors are now circulating that this version will be completely phased out and the Xbox 360 Elite will drop in price to $299.

Now to the point of the console war, I think that the PS3 can still come out on top of this…with a few caveats of course. The PS3 has to begin focusing on getting more exclusive games and helping developers use the core processor to make games better on the PS3 than on the 360. Although many people who will only ever buy one console every generation are probably already lost to the 360, their are still some who recognize the horrible failure rates of the Xbox 360 (for every 1 PS3 that fails, 5 Xbox 360’s do). The PS3 can definitely harness this market with better games, better online features, and streaming features. Microsoft seems to be trying to make the Xbox 360 the center of the living room, even though the PS3 is a device better poised to take that role. The Xbox 360 has Netflix streaming and a slew of other things, like a booming Arcade; the PS3 has an arcade that is dismal compared to the Xbox 360 and has no TV/ Movie store. The PS3 has the BluRay drive that many people have yet to upgrade to but would nonetheless enjoy, and they have the amazing leverage by being in the Sony brand of products. Sony can begin to intergrate the PS3 in with many of their products creating a truly integrated home centered around the PS3 and its multicore processing power.

I think the price drop could play a major role in the console wars, but Sony has to begin to become a lot more aggressive to reach their long term goals for the console.

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/is-the-ps3-slim-enough-to-reignite-the-console-wars/feed/ 1 First Multiplayer Footage of Modern Warfare 2: Sticky Semtex, Customized Killstreaks, and Airborne AC130s http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/first-multiplayer-footage-of-modern-warfare-2-sticky-semtex-customized-killstreaks-and-airborne-ac130s/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/first-multiplayer-footage-of-modern-warfare-2-sticky-semtex-customized-killstreaks-and-airborne-ac130s/#comments Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:43:40 +0000 Rafi Shamim http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=1907 As you can probably tell from the title of this post, the latest installment of Modern Warfare is back and looks better than ever. But don’t think the new and exciting features stop there. To name a few more, Infinity Ward’s latest work will feature killer graphics (I must remind you that the visuals you see below are in from gameplay footage), standalone spec-ops missions (think Mile-High Club from the end of the last game), brand new weapons and equipment, and, of course, a thrilling campaign.

I’m sure all of you avid Modern Warfare fans know all of this already, so without further delay, check out the stunning video below, featured in full HD glory. Be sure to watch until the end to satisfy your inner geek.

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/first-multiplayer-footage-of-modern-warfare-2-sticky-semtex-customized-killstreaks-and-airborne-ac130s/feed/ 2 New Duke Nukem Forever Screens Surface http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/new-duke-nukem-forever-screens-surface/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/new-duke-nukem-forever-screens-surface/#comments Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:10:01 +0000 Pat McLane http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=1898

Yeah, we know.

Just when it seemed like Duke Nukem Forever was on a slow road to nowhere thanks to Take-Two’s lawsuit against Apogee Software, the DN facebook page dropped a fresh batch of screenies for hopeful gamers to gawk at. This tease gives us a glimpse of a few new enemies, but there isn’t much of real substance to be had here.

But please don’t be bashful; there is plenty of visual candy to be had at the unofficial Duke Nukem Facebook fan page. Just try not to get too excited, okay?

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/new-duke-nukem-forever-screens-surface/feed/ 3 Madden ‘09 Says Steelers Will Win the Superbowl http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/madden-09-says-steelers-will-win-the-superbowl/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/madden-09-says-steelers-will-win-the-superbowl/#comments Sat, 24 Jan 2009 00:03:19 +0000 Ali Shah http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=1892

As they do every year, Electronic Arts ran a simulation of the Superbowl between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers in an attempt to predict the Superbowl. The Steelers won in their simulation. The funny thing is that the simulation is usually correct except for last year when the Giants won. The score of the simulation game was 28-24, a close game. We’ll see if its right or there is another upset. After the jump, the predictions and results of the last few Superbowls.

CONFIRMED: Steelers win Superbowl XLIII

  • 2004 – Madden: Patriots ; Superbowl: Patriots
  • 2005 – Madden: Patriots ; Superbowl: Patriots
  • 2006 – Madden: Steelers ; Superbowl: Steelers
  • 2007 – Madden: Colts ; Superbowl: Colts
  • 2008 – Madden: Patriots ; Superbowl: Giants

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/madden-09-says-steelers-will-win-the-superbowl/feed/ 7 Grand Theft Auto 4: Lost and Damned, First Expansion Details http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/grand-theft-auto-4-lost-and-damned-first-expansion-details/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/grand-theft-auto-4-lost-and-damned-first-expansion-details/#comments Fri, 23 Jan 2009 23:51:31 +0000 Ali Shah http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=1886

Way before Grand Theft Auto 4 was even out, details about 2 expansions exclusively for Xbox 360 were already buzzing around the internet. Eventually, it was uncovered that Microsoft had to pay a hefty 50 million dollar price tag for the exclusivity of the expansions. The game was released, received rave reviews, and made insane amounts of cash, but details about the expansions remained scarce…until now! It turns out the expansions were much closer than anyone thought, in fact the first will be hitting next month, February 17th, for 1600 MS Points which is $20.

Some have received early previews of the expansion and they say it features about 10-20 hours of extra gameplay, new weapons, new missions, new music, and a biker gang? Not sure about the last one, but it seems like a good value if it ends up actually giving 20 hours of gameplay. Some sad news is that there will be no area additions to Liberty City, only new buildings. Here are some links to previews of the expansion and be sure to check back here for a review of the expansion when it actually hits the marketplace.

Gamespot

Kotaku

CVG

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/grand-theft-auto-4-lost-and-damned-first-expansion-details/feed/ 0 Left 4 Dead Patch is Out! http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/left-4-dead-patch-is-out/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/left-4-dead-patch-is-out/#comments Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:58:44 +0000 Zeshan Iqbal http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=1873

Earlier today, Valve released a new patch for the PC version of Left 4 Dead. If you play this game as much I do, then you know there were some issues that had to be fixed. Well, put those thoughts to rest because the patch addresses most of the issues, glitches and bugs that previously plagued this game. *cough* Smoker *cough* However, it still didn’t fix the fast melee exploit or unlock Dead Air and Death Toll for play in Versus mode.

via Steam

General

* Fixed Survivors being able to climb surfaces marked for versus infected only
* Fixed a class of SurvivorBot bugs dealing with rescuing downed players
* Players can no longer grab ladders while flying through the air after a Tank punch
* Shooting near a car with an alarm that has already fired the alarm will no longer make chirping noises
* Improved loading time
* Fixed mini-gun physics exploit
* Fixed propane tanks (and other physics objects) causing players to fall through elevators
* Fixed rare achievement bug issues
* Fixed several map exploits
* Fixed various match making issues
* Fixed NAT traversal issues

Versus Changes

* Added HUD elements to show status of other infected players
* Changed color of infected player name in chat to red
* Fixed exploit where players could spawn infected bots
* Fixed instance where a Survivor changing to the infected team would be attacked by infected bots
* Normalized special infected melee damage
* Made the following client commands cheat protected: “Kill” and “explode”
* Fixed exploit where infected players could run away and teleport back to gain health
* Players can only change teams once per map
* Players can’t change teams while other players are still loading
* Tank spawns at the same % through the map for both teams in versus mode
* Made the Tank and Witch spawn directly on the escape route
* Increased chance of getting the Tank or Witch
* Fixed team swap issue

Hunter

* Easier to pounce a Survivor who is meleeing
* Increased Minimum damage a Hunter pounce does

Smoker

* Fixed Smoker tongue tolerance
* Smoker now has to be killed or the tongue destroyed for the tongue to break
* Survivor’s cannot bash someone off the tongue until the Survivor being pulled is paralyzed or hanging
* Tongue attacks that fail to paralyze or hang a Survivor will use the shorter ability delay timer
* Fixed cases where the ability timer was not using the correct time
* Fixed case where you could point at a Survivor but not register a tongue hit
* Fixed Smoker tongue not targeting and landing properly through PZ ghosts
* Smoker tongue does damage every second while dragging paralyzed Survivors

Tank

* Bashable objects now appear with a red glow
* Tanks hitting a car with an alarm disables the alarm permanently
* Tank frustration timer is only reset by hitting Survivors with rocks or fists
* Reduced autoshotgun damage against Tanks

Witch

* Witch spawns at the same % through the map for both teams
* Avoids spawning within a certain % of the tank
* Fixed an exploit where the Witch could be woken up and tricked into attacking Survivors

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/left-4-dead-patch-is-out/feed/ 1 Playstation 2 Most Played Console of 2008 http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/playstation-2-most-played-console-of-2008/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/playstation-2-most-played-console-of-2008/#comments Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:06:59 +0000 Ali Shah http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=1866

Nielsen is now reporting for the months January-October of 2008, the Playstation 2 was the most played console. It took 31.7% of the minutes followed by the Xbox 360 with 17.2%. That is a pretty hefty gap, especially for a 8+ year-old console. Given that there are more Playstation 2’s around than Americans, it makes sense but still impressive. Sony seems to fair a little less well with the Playstation 3 which was behind the original Xbox and only ahead of the Nintendo Gamecube. The question still remains, when will a console dethrone the Playstation 2. I’d say that within the next year or so, the Nintendo Wii definitely will, but will it have the staying power of 8+ years that the Playstation 2 had? The entire list after the break: 

Rank  Console  Usage Minutes % 
1  PlayStation 2              31.7 
2  Xbox 360  17.2 
3  Wii  13.4 
4  Xbox  9.7 
5  PlayStation 3  7.3 
6  GameCube  4.6 
7  Other  16.2 

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]]> http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/playstation-2-most-played-console-of-2008/feed/ 5 Happy New Year from RotPod http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/happy-new-years-everyone-from-rotpod/ http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/happy-new-years-everyone-from-rotpod/#comments Thu, 01 Jan 2009 06:21:29 +0000 Ali Shah http://www.rotpod.net/rotpod/?p=1862

All the RotPod team members would like to wish all of our readers a great New Year. We have a couple of resolutions, one of them being posting a lot more on the blog. Check back frequently for updates and have a great 2009.

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