For those who haven’t seen the show, the lead character, Michael Westen, played by Jeffrey Donovan, creates gizmos for blowing up just about anything with over-the-counter parts. For instance, he constantly uses pre-paid phones to trigger explosives and even has uploaded “Top Secret” data to free file hosting services. I asked Bruce Campbell, Chris Vance, and Tim Matheson a few questions about the creative genius behind these home-made weaponry. It turns out that Matt Nix, the creator of Burn Notice, and a few of his writers generally come up with those ideas. While the show never fully explains the process of making a dangerous gizmos, leaving an element or two out for obvious reasons, they still continuously hear complains from federal agencies.

Anyways, we’ve got a full gallery of photos from the press room and three videos queued up below. Enjoy and let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Links: Burn Notice
Related: Comic-Con 2010: The Big Bang Theory Interviews

Executive producers and writers weren’t the only ones at Comic-Con 2010: the entire cast did as well. Everyone from Jim Parsons to Kaley Cuoco showed up and had plenty to say about the show and their involvement. Skatter Tech was able to grab some exclusive interviews with The Big Bang Theory’s producers, writers, and actors, and I would like to now present some photo galleries and video coverage of our time with the stars.

Just as a heads up to our readers, if the videos below begin with audio and a still image, just hang tight and our video coverage will continue in seconds. As you will notice, some of our media coverage is still rough around the edges, we would love your feedback in order to help improve the experience as best we can! Don’t forget to stay tuned for the rest of our exclusive interviews with other networks and some great shows included in our preview. Let’s also not forget to thank Sahas Katta for the countless hours of video and audio editing!

Links: The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Related: Comic-Con 2010 Preview

The biggest improvement to the new iMacs has to be their new processing power. The previous generation mostly ran on the Intel Core 2 Duo, while this year’s upgrade now utilizes Intel’s i3, i5 and i7 line of processors. The move from Apple comes surprisingly late as the company revamped its Macbook Pro line with the processors much earlier this year. Speeds for the dual-core i3 and i5 go up to 3.6 GHz while the quad-core i5 and i7 models go up to 2.93 GHz. To complement the change in CPUs, the iMacs also sport a new graphics processors as well. The various iMac models use different versions of the ATI Radeon HD, the graphics memory ranges from 256 MB DDR3 all the way to 1GB DDR5. It’s no surprise that these new desktop computers pack a punch as they’re geared towards average users and professionals alike.

Regarding data storage, customers can upgrade the 27” model to a 256 GB Solid State Drive (SSD) as either a primary or secondary drive. Known for being excellent for all types of media and content creation, the iMacs also come equipped with Apple’s backlit LED displays. Screen sizes range from 21.5” to 27” unfortunately, like all Apple products, it’s priced higher than most monitors of similar size and quality. Additionally, all the SD card slots support SDXC which allow it to work with the latest high-capacity memory cards.

Along with release of the iMacs, Apple has also introduced a new device that promises to add to the experience. The Magic Trackpad as it is called, is a multi-touch glass and aluminum pad used to perform the gestures that have become a staple part of the Macbook line. While it had its own special announcement this morning, the Magic Trackpad goes hand-in-hand with the new iMac line. The Trackpad will entirely change user interaction with the iMac, especially considering how fast multi-touch had taken off for Apple’s other devices.

Leading up to today’s announcement, there was a good deal of speculation and rumors about a refresher of the iMac line that can be now put to rest. The new computers are fast, beautiful, and serve the purposes of many different demographics. One thing to note, however, is the pricing of the new iMacs. The basic 21.5” model starts at $1,199, however, as soon as you move up to the 27” i5 model, you’ll have to spend at least $2000. The Magic Trackpad is sold separately for $69. The new iMacs are currently available and can be purchased from the Apple Store.

Buy: Buy on Amazon.com
Link: Apple.com iMac

Similar to the Marvel versus Capcom franchise, Street Fighter X Tekken will pit Ryu and the colorful cast of characters from Capcom’s most successful fighting franchise against the best contenders from The King of Iron Fist tournament. However, what got me worried immediately was the fact that the Tekken franchise is devoted to an intense 3-D gameplay whereas Street Fighter excels as a 2-D fighting game. My concerns were then compounded when I remembered that Street Fighter did dabble in a 3-D version titled Street Fighter EX, but what made these games shockingly mediocre was that Hadoukens and other projectiles had very little effectiveness when one could simply sidestep away from a flying fireball. This made the game dependent on heavy combos that would trap the character and essentially force them to take the fireball as part of the combo. This is extremely problematic because it goes against the very nature of characters like Ken, Ryu, and Akuma, which heavily rely on projectiles to distance characters and create openings.

Capcom, seemingly aware of this problem, and Namco—the creator of successful 3-D fighters like Tekken and Soul Calibur—have decided to release two versions of this fighting game mash up. One will be titled Street Fighter X Tekken, which will be developed by the Street Fighter team, and, as seen at Comic-Con, looks very similar in design and gameplay to Street Fighter 4. On the other end of spectrum, Namco will release its own version called Tekken X Street Fighter, which will presumably be rooted in the Tekken 6 engine. From a marketing standpoint, this is brilliant because both companies have the opportunity to maximize revenue, and die hard fans will probably end up buying both versions to compare and contrast between the two games.

However, the cynical fighting fan in me finds a couple of problems in this “solution.” First, characters that appear in one game may not appear in the other, which will only frustrate fans who want to see one Street Fighter character face off against a Tekken character but will be unable to because they are in separate games. Second, the engines will be so different that certain moves will have to be adjusted making characters feel extremely different between each version. For example, Kazuya from the Tekken franchise does not have projectiles. Therefore, if chosen in Capcom’s Street Fighter X Tekken, he would be bombarded by projectiles. Now, the counter argument is that perhaps his roundhouse kick or uppercuts can be made similar to Ryu’s Tatsumaki-Senpū kyaku or Shoyruken, but what about characters like Panda or Asuka? Panda could be compared to Zangief, but she doesn’t have any huge throws to compensate for a lack of projectiles like Zangief incorporates into his movelist, and Asuka would be dead in the water against Chun-Li, who moves has projectiles and a fast movelist like Asuka to throw a Tekken player off their game. In contrast, Tekken x Capcom would neuter most Street Fighter characters. Tekken is played by picking your spot, finding an opening, and then following up with a massive juggle that takes anywhere from 40-100% of your life. Using the example above, if Asuka can get Chun-Li in the air and hit a huge juggle, Chun-Li would be hurting bad. But if Chun-Li wanted to come back, Asuka could dodge her Lightning Legs and easily sidestep her Fireball making Chun-Li the weaker contender.

Like Marvel vs. Capcom, Street Fighter X Tekken is every fighting fan boys dream. It would finally settle the argument of who would win in a fight: Ganryu or E. Honda; Jin or Ryu; or even Devil versus Bison. But what happens when the games is changed to Tekken X Street Fighter? Will the answers still be the same? Will certain characters become unbalanced by changing the number of walkable planes? Will the skills even translate over? The fact that I have to ask these many questions only dampens my excitement for what could be a very cool game. With the fog of Comic-Con clouding my judgment now gone, all Namco and Capcom have left me with are questions rather than an urge to pick up the controller. And even if I did pick up the controller in order to prepare, the question that I am forced to ask myself is which game do I put into my console…Street Fighter 4 or Tekken 6?

Update: It has come to our attention that Street Fighter EX, for those of you that are familiar with the project, is actually 2.5 dimensional in which there is no side-stepping. The point that Mr. Tung was trying to convey in this piece was simply the enormous disadvantage that the Street Fighter (eg, IV) engine would have when built into the Tekken (eg, 6) style of gameplay. In other words, Capcom and Namco have made a wise choice in accommodating both fighting games into the 2.5 dimensional world that SF x Tekken possesses. We apologize for the slight misinformation and proudly support Chris as the experienced gamer he is!

Links: Street Fighter X Tekken

Combining both eSATA and USB 2.0 has some pretty great advantages. First of all, eSATA by itself is inconvenient in that it does not actually have any power pins. The combination of USB with eSATA means that the N909 does not need any external power cables as the USB interface takes care of it. USB 2.0, however, has its limitations, as typical read and write rates range from 10-20 Mbps. That’s where the N909’s eSATA interface takes over and boosts the transfer rate up to 90 MB/s and 50 MB/s for read and write performance respectively.  To put it into perspective, a 4GB avi file would take about 80 sec to be write with the N909 versus 3.3 minutes with conventional USB 2.0.

Of course, in order to utilize the N909’s eSATA interface, users will need to have an eSATA port in their computers. For people like myself who don’t have an eSATA port, there’s not much use for the combo solution. Also, while the speeds ADATA is claiming are fairly fast, the actual speeds may be much lower when actually benchmarked. The N909 is compatible with USB 2.0 slots but with a rate up to 33 MB/s. This rate is also subject to variation when using the device. The real rate may be somewhere in the 25-30 MB/s range which is still faster than USB 2.0. While I can imagine transferring a large amount of information via the eSATA, I can only imagine using the USB interface like a regular flash drive.

In terms of physical appearance, the N909 sports an aluminum body and a green LED power indicator making for a sleek and simple look. The device will be available in 16GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB. Even if you don’t have an eSATA port, atleast the capacities are somewhat appealing for now. That though might change as the pricing of the N909 has yet to be announced. The N909 is no USB 3.0, however, the combination of eSATA and USB 2.0 seems to be a decent alternative. Although there still is no set release date, the N909 should be hitting stores soon.

Link: ADATA N909

Many yearly revisions of sports titles tend to contribute rather modestly to overall game play. That is why the new approach EA has taken for FIFA ’11 is reason enough to be excited. Instead of focusing on creating more complex game modes and role playing scenarios, the developers have trimmed down single player significantly. Virtual Pro was a single player mode introduced in FIFA ’10 where players could create a custom character and play in any mode in the game. Career mode has now been restructured to exclude Virtual Pro so users can only choose to be a player, a manager or both for multiple seasons. Though the extra features had their worth, removing them was a good move to streamline the game. As a result, the simulation engine has been revamped to provide more accurate game results and allow players to see results around the world. These efforts to make the career mode simpler and more efficient allowed the developers to focus on other aspects of the game.

While the major changes to career mode may dampen the spirits of those who enjoyed Virtual Pro, they are certainly a minor issue considering the new mechanics of the game. Since soccer is a tactical sport, more has been invested into making game play as realistic and thoughtful as possible. A new physics engine has been introduced designed to make player motion as fluid and dynamic as the actual game. For example, “ping-pong” passing has been removed, meaning that players will now have to plan out each pass carefully before making it. On top of that, players will have a new arsenal of skill moves to execute and every touch, dribble and movement will be highly controllable. 360 degree dribbling as it is called, will be supplemented with 360 degree physicality meaning players will be able to push, shove and respond more aggressively in one-on-one situations.

What’s probably most exciting about EA’s new approach to the is the addition of player personalities. Usually in sports games, skill levels assigned to players don’t have that much of a bearing on the way they play in game. Player personalities are an attempt to change that, as players will now take on skill sets and behavioral attributes that are similar to their real life counterparts. For example, stars like Lionel Messi will be far more capable of shooting, dribbling and passing than the average player. I can’t emphasize how much of a difference such a feature will have on game play because not only is there a difference in skill between individual players, but also between various positions on the field as well. An attacking midfielder or forward will play quite differently than say a defender so users will have to pass and shoot based on the make-up of the squad.

The FIFA series has shown consistent improvement over the years through efforts to change fundamental aspects of the game. Although Virtual Pro has been scrapped for FIFA ‘11, I anticipate that the new aspects of the game will be better in its place. It’s nice to see EA take it a step further and really try to redefine the in game experience. As of now, those who have taken demos of FIFA ’11 for a spin have many positive things to say about it. While FIFA ’11 seems promising, it isn’t the only soccer game set to be released. Gamers should also be on the lookout for Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 which is scheduled to come out between September and December of the this year. FIFA ’11 will be out on shelves in North America September 28 2010. Whether or not FIFA ’11 will be of its own class, it’ll certainly be worth the wait.

Links: FIFA 2011

I began the interview with the most speculated question I had: whether or not Okamiden, a handheld title, could live up to the immense amount of gameplay and value the original Okami offered on the PlayStation 2 and Wii consoles. This question may seem like an obvious one since the original Okami had our protagonist, sun goddess incarnation Ammaterasu, spend about 40 hours fighting demons, upgrading weapons and celestial brush abilities, and an unbelievable sense of exploration. It’s tough to expect Chibiterasu, recently confirmed as the son of Ammy as expected, to have the same amount of depth in a handheld sequel.

Motohide Eshiro, with the aid of his translator Miguel, assured me that Okamiden had been designed from the ground up with the ultimate goal of utilizing the Nintendo DS in every way possible. This included a full, complex adventure game that would not fall short of what we expect out of the Okami franchise. I proceeded to ask just exactly how long we would expect to control Chibiterasu and his multiple partners as they vanquish demons from their home land of Nippon. Eshiro answered that around 25 hours of gameplay would accompany the player’s first play through.

With his selective choice of words I was immediately determined to know just what he meant by “first play through,” and whether or not there would be reason for replay. These incentives I refer to could be in the form of collectibles, hidden weapons, or brush techniques, like those in the original Okami. Unfortunately, Eshiro responded by telling me that there would not be as much to collect as in the original, although there would be something unique to bring players back to the adventure that would would stay as a surprise. There may even be a few new brush techniques to change things up for the fans of the series.

After questioning him about the disadvantages and the concerns of creating a sequel on the handheld, I asked what were some of the strong advantages he was taking while using the Nintendo DS’s touchscreen and stylus. Eshiro explained that Okamiden is incredibly precise since you can control everything from celestial brush techniques to your partner with the stylus. Another mechanic that has changed is how the camera will follow Chibiterasu as you play and will constantly show the player what they need to be shown. I asked how this will affect the amount of exploration the user has and his response was that while there isn’t an total absence of it, there won’t be nearly as much overworld to explore.

Motohide Eshiro was really enthusiastic about Okamiden pleasing fans of the Okami universe, and that Chibiterasu’s adventure would be just as artistic and divine as his mother’s. Even though I pushed to him towards admitting some of the inevitable shortcomings, such as shorter gameplay and less exploration, he assured me all these changes were for the best to assure that gameplay would play as smooth and fun as possible. Chibiterasu has some big footsteps to fill and all in a tiny package, but gamers will have to wait till early next year to see whether the adorable celestial hero can make it big.

Links: Okamiden
Related: Okamiden Preview

The Cortex system-on-a-chip (SoC) processor family is prevalent in many mobile Internet devices (MID) and embedded applications today. Although the architecture is not explicitly used all of the time, many devices use variant architectures based on the core Cortex CPU. For example, Qualcomm designed the Snapdragon processor architecture currently in the HTC Evo 4G; however, the architecture is largely based on the ARM Cortex-A8 core. Similarly, Apple’s A4 architecture used in the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPad is based on the ARM processor architecture and uses a Cortex A-8 CPU combined with a separate GPU built on Samsung’s 45nm process. Currently, ARM has workings with TSMC’s rival manufacturer Globalfoundries to build their Cortex A-9 processors on a 28 nm process. This current deal will not be affected by TSMC’s new deal with ARM, meaning that Globalfoundries will finish building its 28 nm process.

By forging a new alliance with TSMC, ARM is getting itself ready to face some significant competition. Intel is one of those competitors with the prospective release of SoC platform Moorestown in early 2011. Moorestown is a smart phone and MID-based platform that integrates an Intel Atom processor core with many other key system features like the graphics engine, memory and display controllers, etc. Intel is actually partnered with TSMC for the new atom chipset, creating an interesting dynamic between both competitors. I also recently discussed Intel’s intentions to plunge into mobile with its potential acquisition of Infineon’s wireless division. While ARM faces such future competition, it will most likely retain its firm position in the mobile market considering the wide use of its platforms. The new deal with TSMC doesn’t come as a surprise and solidifies ARM’s future prospects.

The move to a 20 nm process comes at a time when the Smartphone industry has been making significant strides. Some of the issues concerning mobile computing include speed, size, and power. A 20 nm process will address some of those issues and make MIDs smaller, faster and consume less power, although much has yet to be seen on the technology’s potential. The switch to the process probably isn’t going to go into effect immediately. It will be some time before we see chips using the process hit the market as even the 28 nm hasn’t fully made its way yet.

Links: ARM | TSMC

If users already own an Xbox 360, the Kinect Sensor plus the game “Kinect Adventures” will retail for $150. Microsoft also announced that Kinect will work “with each of the 40 million Xbox 360s currently in households,” which is great news for those that feared they would need to buy an entire new system to play with Microsoft’s latest toy. For those who don’t own an Xbox 360 yet, Microsoft will also offer a Kinect All-in-One package which includes the 4GB console in addition to a sensor and a video game. This combo goes for $299, which is a very reasonable price considering the 4GB model is already $199 alone. This entices uncertain consumers to save about $100 if they haven’t yet bought an Xbox.

In terms of pricing, Microsoft is definitely competitive. Making a new technology is always dangerous and the fear of a product falling flat on its face always makes innovators a bit nervous when designing something far-fetched. Now that Microsoft has generated enough positive buzz at E3, making the unit affordable gives the Xbox a much-needed fiscal edge over its more over priced, but more multi-functional competitors. Looking only at the numbers, Kinect charges a one time fee of $149.99 but only allows a maximum of two players. The PlayStation 3 Move, on the other hand, allows up to four players but charges $49.99 for each remote. However, those looking to get the most out of their Move will consider the additional $29.99 navigation controller which, as the Sony press release states, provides “intuitive navigation of in-game characters and objects”. Or in short, a better gaming experience.

Adding these numbers up, an individual would need to spend $79.98 for each player to get the most out of their PS3 Move. And that quickly stacks up while Kinect goes for just $149.99 making a bit cheaper than Sony’s option for just two players. However, Kinect also only supports two players at this time while the PS3 can host up to four. Seemingly aware of this, Microsoft’s All-in-One bundle knocks the Kinect’s price down by nearly half for new Xbox customers. Moreover, this All-in-One bundle is actually cheaper than Sony’s Move bundle which sells for $399.99 and includes a PlayStation Move motion controller, PlayStation Eye Camera, Sports Champions Blu-ray game, and PlayStation Move game demo disc with a console of course. However, Sony’s package also isn’t perfect even though it includes more content than Kinect since it only bundles one Move motion controller, which prevents multiplayer games, and doesn’t even include the navigation controller, which Sony touts as a necessary accessory. Clearly, there are pros and cons for each, but ultimately, the question is whether or not the lower cost outweighs the number of simultaneous players. Unfortunately, that question can only be answered once we all have games that prove that 2 is better than 4. As of right now, we can only speculate if the cheaper unit will in fact sell better than the expensive unit.

Buy: Amazon.com Xbox Store
Links: Xbox.com | Microsoft.com

Update (7/21/10): We missed some details when this article originally was published last night. It turns out that the photo we used of the original Xbox 360 (white) with a sensor bar was actually from the days when Kinect was still called Project Natal. The 4GB Xbox 360 console features the new Xbox 360 S design that debuted at E3 2010. However, unlike the latest slim model that sports a glossy body, the 4GB model has a black matte finish. Fortunately, it at least does include an internal WiFi card.

The Kindle eReader has been out for about two years now, and Amazon praises it as the “the best-selling, most-gifted, and has the most 5-star reviews of any product on Amazon.” CEO and founder Jeff Bezos has commented on the advances the Kindle has made since initial release up to its recent victory over hardcover format. He believes that the Kindle has tripled in sales directly as a result of the newly lowered price, giving way to its continued success. According to the CEO, it’s “astonishing when you consider [Amazon] has been selling hardcover books for 15 years, and Kindle books for 33 months.”

Bezos’ statement brings up a good point, but also provokes an interesting argument. Should the Kindle overtaking hardcover sales be interpreted as a step towards further success, or simply as a limitation to the devices’ market? Amazon would eagerly suggest that these figures show that the Kindle is unstoppable and that customers are dropping physical books in favor of digital copies, but perhaps there is a more pessimistic take to the whole situation. Hardcover books by no means outsell paperbacks. And until we can see the Kindle surpass paperback sales, it’s tough to claim that the device, let alone e-books in general, have replaced physical books in today’s book market.

Over the past three months, for every 100 hardcover books Amazon.com has sold, it has sold 143 Kindle books. Over the past month, for every 100 hardcover books Amazon.com has sold, it has sold 180 Kindle books. This is across Amazon.com’s entire U.S. book business and includes sales of hardcover books where there is no Kindle edition. Free Kindle books are excluded and if included would make the number even higher.

Even those who don’t own a Kindle can access Amazon’s eBooks through a multitude of platforms such as PC, Mac, iOS, Android, and Blackberry devices. There are plenty of professionals and heavy-readers that will eagerly fight against the Kindle when it comes to eReaders replacing shelves of tangible reading material. Jeff Bezos is providing evidence of just how successful an intelligently designed eReader can be along with a variety of e-book. Whether or not these sales imply that the eReader will replaces physical books, it shows how the Kindle platform has advanced eBook technology in a slim, convenient manner.

Links: Amazon Kindle $189

Droid X Sold Out Everywhere
Earlier this summer, Verizon Wireless took plenty of heat for limited quantities of the HTC Droid Incredible, which still won’t ship until August 3rd. With a high demand and HTC running low on parts, Verizon offered “wait-listed” customers an option to upgrade to the Droid X. Motorola had mentioned a fast-moving supply chain during their press conference, but unfortunately even they couldn’t keep up with sales. Just two days after launch, Verizon Wireless had emptied their entire Droid X inventory in both retail store and online. According to the company, new orders for their flagship device won’t ship until the July 27th. Neither Motorola or Verizon have disclosed official numbers for unit sales, however it’s something that’s going to happen sooner or later.

Motorola Address Bricking Issue
Shortly after launch on the 15th, word hit the web that Motorola had embedded an eFuse bootloader to prevent the installation of custom ROMs. While it’s something that the majority of Droid X owner will never need to deal with, the incident naturally enraged bloggers, developers, and geeks. Initial reports even went as far as to claim that attempted installs of custom ROMs would entirely brick the phone. Fortunately, Motorola shot back and choose toe clear the air with an official statement. According to the company, attempted installations of unauthorized ROMs will simply force the phone into a recovery mode. For Android enthusiasts that wish to hack their phone, it means having to resort to reinstalling the original software to resolve the issue. What’s still unclear is whether these customers will need to ship their device to Motorola or head to a Verizon repair center to escape recovery mode. Recent reports also indicate that the eFuse bootloader was also present on the original Motorola Droid, which turned out being easy to hack.

Software Update Brings Improvements
While Motorola has been fortunate enough to avoid any major software issue during launch, the company is rolling out a quick software update which brings many minor improvements. Sadly, the update isn’t for Android Froyo v2.2 and fails to bring any new features or additions. Nonetheless, Droid X owners will definitely welcome these enhancements:

• Improved battery charging status indicator.
• Smoother transition for camera and camcorder functions.
• Redesign of weather widget icons.
• Faster Exchange ActiveSync® email loading.
• Streamlined organization of newly downloaded applications.
• Organized favorite contacts by call count.
• Updated Bluetooth® connection for enhanced video sharing experience.
• Coordinated date and time across phone displays.
• Cleaner looking status bar for GPS symbol.
• Improved sync capabilities for 3G Mobile Hotspot.
• Faster Visual Voice Mail loading.
• Preloaded Amazon Kindle application.

The update should begin hitting waves of Droid X devices starting today. My review unit, courtesy of Verizon Wireless, still hasn’t been updated. Then again, I haven’t run into any major software issues that need updating either. I’m eagerly awaiting the Froyo v2.2 update that Motorola claims will hit devices in “late summer.” Stay tuned for coverage on that update when it hits.

Links: Skatter Tech Droid X Review
Related: Thoughts on Swype
Source: Verizon Support Documents

Our current schedule already includes panels for Burn Notice, Psych, Red vs. Blue, Halo: Reach, Stargate Universe, Star Wars: Old Republic, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Fable III, and Futurama. We’ll also be attending Gphoria, Diggnation Live, Totally Rad Show, and other events. There’s of course exhibitors such as EA, Activison, Capcom, Warner Brothers, Ubisoft, Sega, Sony, Konami, Lucasfilm, Marvel, and many more that we’ll be meeting.

To stay ahead of the news and find out what we’re up to, feel free to sign up for email updates or subscribe to our RSS feed. We’re also on Facebook and Twitter.

Links: Comic-Con 2010 | Exhbitor List

Today, I’ll walk through a quick tutorial for the BlackBerry Bold 9650:

1. Select a video file from the Source Menu
2. Choose a file name and destination directory
3. Pick ‘Classic’ in the Preset Column
4. Check the “Keep Aspect Ratio” box in the Picture tab
5. Set the width to 480 pixels, leave the height alone
6. In the Video Tab, set the Framerate to 23.976 FPS
7. Also adjust the Average Bitrate to 750 kbps
8. Finally, in the Audio Tab, set Mixdown to Stereo

Once those easy steps are complete, hit start and wait for your video to convert. Duration may vary depending on your computer’s hardware performance.

Once converting is complete, it’s time to get the video file onto the BlackBerry Bold 9650. You’ll need a microSD to SD adapter or a microUSB cable. Once you have access to the card, copy the converted file into the “videos” folder and that should be it. The video application should replay the video just fine.

Links: Handbrake.fr

Editor’s Note: This article was co-written by Josh Shapiro.

Starting on the topic of HDMI, with Motorola touting it as one of the key features, customers would expect the ability to output HD-like Blockbuster to a HDTV set. Unfortunately, HDMI output is restricted due to copyright protection. Ironically, an illegally downloaded TV show or movie will play just fine. And as a side comment, I don’t encourage illegally downloading movies or music, but the restrictions imposed on legal content is just disappointing. Considering that the Blockbuster App comes pre-installed and that Motorola even offers an optional HDMI dock accessory, the entire situation is just ridiculous. I should also note that the packaging doesn’t include a micro HDMI cable.

Forget HDTVs, how about watching Blockbuster movies on the phone? That works great, right? Unfortunately, this is a disaster too. It turns out that the Blockbuster by Mail subscription plans are entirely independent from Blockbuster On Demand. Paying for one won’t offer access to the other. Meanwhile, Netflix offers free instant streaming to computers, TVs, gaming consoles, and mobile phones with a standard rental-by-mail subscription. Sadly, Blockbuster’s pricing is hefty too, movies go for $3.99 for a 24 hour rental and purchases cost up to $17.99. For the average person, that’s just a bit too much to pay for watching a movie on a 4.3 inch screen. When Redbox costs just a buck, there’s no reason to deal with this.

Even if you were okay with the expensive rates, the experience is still problematic. And if you thought Blockbuster for Android was a streaming technology like Netflix or YouTube, you are wrong. On Demand is rather along the lines of iTunes Movies or Amazon Unbox, which means downloading large movie files. And that’s a problem, since downloads take forever. Verizon doesn’t allow 3G downloads either, users will need to stick around a WiFi network until a download completes. Even with a fast internet connection, downloading a movie took about two hours. The app can conveniently run in the background, but it kills battery life quickly.

For those looking to get media onto their phone, with 8GB of internal storage and a bundled 16GB microSD card, there’s plenty of space for storing content. And if that’s not enough, using DLNA with a Windows 7 machine on a home network is probably the next best experience. It allows streaming music, movies, and photos to and from computers, HDTVs, gaming consoles, and even other DLNA enabled smartphones.

While Blockbuster deserves some credit for bringing 125,000 movies to the Droid X and even offering an option to queue movies for Blockbuster by Mail customers, the overall experience is nothing more than a complete failure. The mere list of issues go on and on: no HDMI output, expensive prices, no streaming, slow downloads, and WiFi restrictions. With the entire service being a nuisance, I decided to uninstall this application, but it turns out that isn’t possible either. The entire application is nothing more than bloatware for the average users. I’m looking forward to when Netflix brings an App to the Android Marketplace, hopefully they won’t make the same mistakes.

Links: Motorola Droid X (Review) | Blockbuster.com

While the M11x originally sported a glossy coat, Alienware replaced it with a soft black matte finish in the new refresh. While the company didn’t comment on the reason for the change, I’m sure they received plenty of negative feedback from gamers. Aside from that change, the rest of it is quite familiar. After spending just a few minutes handling the new model, one thing stands out the most: the M11x is built like a tank. It is still one of the most solid laptop’s I’ve come across. It might be due to a smaller chassis that leaves little room for flex, but it doesn’t matter. It’s rugged enough to last through at least a few years of abuse. And that’s a good thing since the 11-inch size targets users that intend to keep the laptop with them at all times.

After switching over to the Intel Core i7 and i5 processors, Alienware was forced to remove one port due to space constraints: VGA. Fortunately, that’s a change for the best since most new displays use HDMI and DisplayPort, which are already featured on the M11x. For those that need to deal with older displays, DisplayPort-to-VGA adapters are available. Other components such as Firewire, the 3-in-1 card reader, Ethernet, and three USB ports remain unchanged. And for those that didn’t know, the M11x completely did away with the Optical CD/DVD drive. As most gaming publishers are offering digital downloads of games, physical media is simply unnecessary. Dell even offers an option during checkout to pre-install Steam. Aside from watching DVD movies, I simply can’t remember the last time I used a CD to install a program aside from Windows 7 installation disc.

While the dual core model was well-recognized for an impressive battery life, which was unheard of in the gaming laptop industry, the new quad core models suffer a minor dip. The performance improvements the Core i7 and i5 models bring are truly impressive, but they simply consume more power than the older dual core consumer ultra-low voltage processor. The new Nvidia Optimus technology even automatically switches back and forth between the faster 1GB GForce GT 355M discrete graphics card and the slower Intel GMA 4500MHD, but even that isn’t enough. While the internal 8-cell Lithium-Ion battery offered over six hours of battery life on the dual core model, the new model gets just five hours. Regardless, it still runs for longer than competing machines. As with just about any Alienware machine, a built-in application lets customers tweak LED lighting settings for the logo, ventilation, and keyboard. Customers can even unscrew the entire bottom plate to manually upgrade or replace the battery, hard drive, or RAM.

Looking at Dell’s current lineup, the Alienware M11x sits in a unique spot. It’s almost small enough for classification as a netbook, but it offers comparable performance to 15-inch laptops. That makes it a great option for both college students and gamers. The laptop offers enough battery life when running on the integrated Intel GMA to last through an entire day’s worth of classes. It makes for a great note taking laptop, especially with a back-lit keyboard. It’s also rugged enough to carry around without falling apart easily. And for gamers, it’s probably the only lightweight solution available. Sure, it doesn’t compare to the performance of the M15x or M17x, but those are power hungry and heavy devices. The M11x manages to squeeze out nearly two hours of battery life for graphics intensive games such as Mass Effect 2 or Call of Duty: Modern Warefare 2 while maintaining great frame rates and decent rendering levels.

Since Dell discontinued the Studio XPS 13, the Alienware M11x is suddenly a great option. As my XPS M1530 is starting to get old, it’s something that I’m considering myself. I’ll probably be using an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse when at home, but it still gets the job done just about everywhere else. We at Skatter Tech will be getting our hands on one of these units from Dell very soon, so stay tuned for a full in-depth review.

Buy: $950 for M11x on Amazon
Links: Alienware.com | Dell.com

The Benefits
OnLive isn’t simply a distribution medium like Steam, it’s entirely different. While the latter requires users to download gigabytes of data for each game, OnLive doesn’t. Getting setup and running is rather easy. The installer for both Macs and PCs is just a few megabytes in size and only has a few minimum requirements: a dual-core processor, 1280-by-720 resolution display, and a high-speed internet connection. And that’s about it, gamers won’t need a powerful graphics card to play the latest games. In fact, the service is so flexible that users can begin a game on one machine and sign into their account on another, regardless of the OS, to pickup where they left off. Game developers may find OnLive attractive as well: building a single version of their game for this service instantly makes it compatible with both Windows and Macintosh machines.

OnLive’s business strategy is different from anything we’ve seen in the gaming industry before. The company’s technology processes graphics-intensive games on their cloud-based servers and delivers the final product to customers: audio and video. The little application on each subscriber’s machine sends commands from a keyboard, mouse, or controller back to OnLive’s servers. With some behind-the-scenes coordination, the entire service claims to work in harmony. For masses out there with outdated machines, OnLive presents an opportunity to play the latest games without having to spend a fortune. As for notable titles, some include Assassin’s Creed II, Dirt 2, Mass Effect 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Splinter Cell: Conviction and a few more.

The Issues
While the initial pitch may sound interesting, there are a few issues worth noting. First, gamers will always need an internet connection, even if simply working your way through a single-player mission. And that’s not all, you can’t have just any internet connection, OnLive requires speeds of nearly 5.5 Mbps. That pretty much excludes most DSL customers and let’s not talk about the part of America that’s still on Dial-Up. For users who do have a great internet connection, despite the claims of the company’s representatives, it’s likely that there will be decent amounts of lag. That fact alone excludes most serious gamers from even considering the service. Playing a round of a multi-player first person shooter may not be so much fun anymore. I should also note that OnLive doesn’t work with WiFi yet, users will need to tether themselves down with an Ethernet cable.

As for graphics quality, OnLive is comparable to other video streaming technologies. Let’s put this in terms of something just about everyone is already familiar with. Think about the quality of a Blu-ray movie or an even a DVD, then compare that to streaming a video from Hulu or YouTube. While faster internet connections and HD content is becoming more widely available, there are always buffering issues. While OnLive’s compression technology claims to intuitively adapt, picture quality won’t look bad, but it won’t be as great as playing it natively. And as for game titles, when I said “a few more,” I meant it. There are only about 20 available at this time.

Bottom Line
When it comes down to considering this service over purchasing retail box games or using Steam, price becomes an important factor. OnLive charges a $15 monthly fee for access to the service, but not games. Getting access to a particular title will cost customers an addition one-time fee. F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin goes for just $20 while Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is $50. Unfortunately, this presents one major drawback: when customers cancel a monthly subscription, they will no longer have access to games they’ve purchased. While OnLive tries appeal to users who can’t afford expensive computer hardware or dedicated consoles, the bills add up. While an Xbox 360 S sells for $300, two years of an OnLive subscription costs $360. Let’s not forget that consumers get to keep Xbox hardware and games which isn’t possible for OnLive users. It’s a hard sell, but nonetheless an interesting one. If pricing drops significantly, it might be worth considering. Until then gaming on consoles or computers is still a more affordable option.

Links: OnLive.com

Update (7/21/10): It was just pointed out that my Xbox price comparison was somewhat inaccurate since I failed to mention the cost of a Xbox Live subscription which goes for $50/year. However, even with an additional $100 added to the price tag, customers will still need to buy games. The fact that games are unplayable after a user ends a subscription still makes the service hard to recommend.

The first game is set during the Third Crusade in the Holy Land and follows the story of an assassin named Altair, while the second game is set in Renaissance Italy and follows a young man turned assassin named Ezio Auditore. In the second game, players had the ability of roaming the streets of major cities like Venice and Florence. The level of immersion the game offered was simply stunning as players could run around and scale every building in sight. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood picks up exactly where Ezio left off in the second game. In Brotherhood, the city of Rome has been recreated from the ground up in its full glory and will be 3 to 4 times more expansive than any of the locations in the other games. As a result, the game looks even more breathtaking than its predecessors.

One of the complaints about the original Assassin’s Creed was the sluggish nature of the combat system. Some of those complaints were addressed in Assassin’s Creed II, and combat took on a faster more visceral feel. Brotherhood will continue on those improvements by expanding the combat system even further. Due to the massive size of the map, Ezio’s horse will play a vital role in his exploits, meaning that a whole new horse combat system has been introduced. Players will also be able to choose from a variety of new assassination methods and weapons. Instead of relying heavily on counter-attacking like in the first two games, Ezio will now have faster striking capabilities. As a result, enemy AI has been significantly refined, adding a new pace to combat. There are also new enemy archetypes that users will have to tactically adjust to depending on the situation.

While the single player is definitely something I’ll be looking forward to, it’s really the multiplayer that has got people excited about this game. Even though multiplayer is an unusual addition to a game as story-driven as Assassin’s Creed is, there’s been a good deal of buzz around it after it was heralded as Best Multiplayer Game at E3. There will be a variety of different multiplayer modes to choose from, with the only one known currently being called “Wanted.” The objective of this mode is quite simple. Six to eight players will be dropped onto a map where each of them must try to kill each other. Although it sounds like a standard death match, it’s actually more like a cat and mouse game. Each player will be assigned a target player to assassinate and must do so without being assassinated by the player targeting them. Players will be able to use the environment to hide from their opponents just like in the single player. This should add an interesting dynamic to the game as the concept of sand box game play will still hold. On top of the free nature of the game, players will be able to level up their characters and unlock many different maps, items, etc. This level-up type of game play should ensure that the multiplayer feature doesn’t get boring too fast.

Even though Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood picks up where the previous game left off, there are certainly many new things it has to offer. I don’t think, however, that the overall single player experience will be too different from previous games. It will probably contribute to a more complete game instead. On the other hand, I do see the multiplayer bringing something completely different to the picture. As of now, there’s only information regarding one game mode, leaving seven more without explanation. Unfortunately, we’ll have to just wait until November 16, when Brotherhood is released for PS3 and Xbox 360. Until then, Ubisoft has left us with enough breathtaking glimpses of Brotherhood to drool over.

Pre-order: $59 on Amazon for PS3 or Xbox 360
Links: Ubisoft.com Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

Steve Jobs spent much of the press conference defending the iPhone 4, saying it was “perhaps the best product we’ve ever made at Apple.” He started right off the bat by pointing out that all smart phones have weak antenna issues and claimed that it is possible to replicate the “death grip” on the HTC Droid Eris, Samsung Omnia II, and BlackBerry Bold 9700. Jobs also claimed that only about .55% of iPhone 4 owners have called AppleCare’s support line regarding antenna issues. He also noted an AT&T report which claims that only 1.7% of customers have returned their new iPhones, a much lower number than the 6% that returned the iPhone 3GS. Jobs did admit that the iPhone 4 drops more calls than the 3GS, but says it’s only a little less than one additional call per hundred, or less than 1% more. He added that his “pet theory” about why there are more dropped calls is because only about 20% of customers left the store with cases as opposed to 80% (by Apple’s numbers) for the iPhone 3GS.  That’s mainly because older cases don’t fit the iPhone 4 while the iPhone 3GS retained the same iPhone 3G dimensions.

While Jobs may have acknowledged that the iPhone 4 isn’t perfect and said that he was deeply sorry for customers affected by reception problems, he stopped short of admitting that there is a fundamental design flaw. In addition, when asked if he would be willing to make an apology to investors, Jobs said that he didn’t think that he owed them one because Apple has heard so many good things from customers and that Apple is “doing a lot to help them with any issues they’re seeing.” This is bound to rub some investors the wrong way, seeing as Apple stock has dropped 7% since the iPhone 4’s release, and Consumer Report has refused to recommend the new iPhone because of the “death grip,” calling on Apple to fix this problem for consumers. It is true that these cases will relieve the reception problem for the iPhone 4 and giving them to customers for free is a great move that will make many Apple fans happy. However, refusing to truly acknowledge the problem or even to apologize for it after holding an emergency press conference is a bit strange. In my opinion, it comes across as being a bit arrogant, and it would have been nice to see just a tad more humility in Cupertino this morning.

Aside from that, Apple did announce that the white iPhone 4 would finally become available on July 30th, just two weeks away. Apple also released a minor software update, iOS 4.0.1, which will properly display signal strength for the nearly 3 million iPhone 4 customers.

Links: Apple.com
Related: iPhone 4 vs. Intelligent Design

Let me start off by saying that I am not a fan of touchscreen keyboards. At all. I love the tactile feel of physical keys beneath my fingers while I’m typing, and haptic (vibrating) feedback just doesn’t cut it for me. I don’t see how people with large hands can type anything on these keyboards. I have tiny fingers and I still manage to press the wrong keys! I’ve had this problem with the iPhone 3GS, which features one of the best touchscreen keyboards, and I even found the Droid X’s default multi-touch keyboard difficult to use despite its large screen. Typing often got frustratingly slow using the multi-touch keyboard, as I had to go back constantly to correct misspelled words. Fed up after an hour of trying to make it through a sentence without typos and spending over ten minutes on a five line email, I finally gave in and switched to the pre-installed Swype keyboard.

I know that, even though Swype has been getting rave reviews, there are a fair number of skeptics out there, including myself before I tried it out. But let me assure you that this positive reviews are warranted. For starters, Cliff Kushler is behind the project, the same guy who invented the T9 text-input technology that’s featured on millions of numeric keypad phones. Clearly not satisfied with his first revolutionary addition to keypads, he’s trying to “reinvent the wheel” again, this time for smart phones. He’s done this by creating a software that allows you to slide your finger over a touchscreen keyboard to spell out a word without lifting a finger. The intuitive software recognizes an intended word based on the keys you’ve run your fingers over. For example, if I want to type “Droid,” I would place my finger on the “D” key, then drag it up to the “R” key, across to the “O,” back to the “I,” and then back to “D” again. I know that this may sound a little strange, and a video is the best way to explain how Swype works, here’s Sahas Katta’s demo of Swype on the HTC EVO 4G:

If that video didn’t convince you that Swype is unlike anything you’ve ever seen, then I probably have nothing more to say that will change your mind. Swype goes far beyond the days of graffiti for Palm Pilots. The technology doesn’t require pin-point swyping accuracy, either. Running your finger across a set of keys  within reasonable proximity of those that form a word is generally enough; however, if Swype is unsure about your input, it presents a popup with four possibilities and a second page with another four. And if a word isn’t recognized, tapping it in the old fashion way will register it into the dictionary, and Swyping that same word a second time around won’t be an issue.

Full sentences are just as easy. To swype something like “My Droid X Rocks,” all I need to do is run my finger across the letters of the first word, lift my finger briefly, and then continue on to the second word. I found it very handy that Swype automatically selected the first option in the word suggestion box without making me have to physically touch the word to select it. This meant that I could continue swyping the next word in my sentence while Swype inserted the first option, dramatically speeding up my typing. However, the main reason for faster typing I found was the fact that I didn’t ever have to stop to hit the space key. Hitting the space bar is entirely optional with Swype, as the keyboard automatically recognizes where one word ends and another begins.

In terms of the learning curve, it’s actually fairly intuitive. The software walks you through a tutorial when it’s first activated. After that, I more or less got the hang of it in under a minute. Within an hour I felt completely comfortable using Swype. After swyping only a few sentences, it becomes clear how much faster it is. I was able to write texts using Swype, with minimal typos, in nearly half the time it took me to tap the same message on the standard multi-touch keyboard.

While the entire idea sounds great, there’s one major flaw with Swype: it is very, very easy to make mistakes. And that’s not entirely because the technology is flawed, but because we are. Most of us know how to type on traditional QWERTY keyboards because they’ve been around for ages, and we’ve been trained to type exclusively on these keyboards. Veteran typists have the muscle movements memorized for most common words. Because Swype doesn’t use the traditional typing method, however, muscle memory got in the way more frequently than I expected, especially when it came to words with trickier spellings. One of the most problematic words for me was “definitely,” a word that I don’t normally have trouble typing because I know the finger pattern. However, with Swype I had to think twice about whether it was spelled with one “E” or two and what the overall letter sequence was. This was more of a minor nuisance for me, since I have relatively decent spelling, but I can imagine it being a real problem for those who aren’t great at spelling and rely heavily on spell check or autocorrect. Unlike conventional typing, spelling does make a difference in determining whether or not Swype knows what you are trying to say.

I’ve found that Swype is only right about 75% of the time in what I’m trying to say. I’m going to chalk up most of this to my inability to swype accurately, but it has led to some fairly entertaining typos. For instance, it inserted the word “fruit” instead of “for” in an email to a friend. But a more serious incident was when the “o” in the word “dock” was swapped with the letter “i” in a work-related conversation with my boss. While he laughed it off, I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t play out so well in other situations or with other bosses. Swype is also very problematic when it comes to passwords. There’s simply no way to verify that you’ve entered a password correctly using Swype, since the text is covered with astericks. Passwords that are standard dictionary words, which is highly unrecommended, may work with Swype, but entering complicated ones with symbols, numbers, and capital letters isn’t just annoying, it’s nearly impossible. Fortunately, the Swype keyboard also works as a regular tap-enabled keyboard when needed, though I wouldn’t recommend using it this way for anything other than odd words or passwords.

Overall, I think Swype is a fantastic addition to smart phones and is great for people like me who find regular single-letter tapping on touchscreens difficult and downright frustrating. Of course, it isn’t perfect. It has some problems with typos, and does go against the way we have been taught to type. However, these problems are more minor nuisances than serious issues and definitely do not outweigh the speed benefits that come with Swype. After using it myself, I now see why people have been so excited by this new text input feature, and I can honestly say that I would recommend Swype to all smart phone owners.

Links: Swype Beta
Video: Demo on HTC EVO 4G

Editors Note: This article was co-written by Sahas Katta and Alex Harvey-Gurr.

BlackBerry Protect is the first free in-house service that provides BlackBerry owners with all the tools they need to protect their phone should it go missing. The first of these tools is the ability to automatically back up data. When you download and install the BlackBerry Protect application, you will be given the option to backup the data on your BlackBerry. If you choose to backup your data, you will be able to decide what data you want backed up and how often (daily, weekly, or monthly). The best part, however, is that only new data will be backed up after the first backup is completed, instead of just backing up the same old data over and over again and increasing data usage.

Another helpful feature and my personal favorite is Loud Ring. Basically, if you misplace your BlackBerry in your apartment, say, under a pile of dirty laundry, you can log into the BlackBerry Protect web portal and activate the loud ring feature, which makes your phone ring loudly for one minute (even if it was set on silent!). Additionally, this feature will change the default profile to loud, so if you still can’t find your phone after the ringing stops you can call it on another phone and keep searching for it. I can’t even begin to describe how incredibly handy this feature would be for a person like me, considering how many times I’ve turned my room inside out trying to find my phone after “misplacing” it.BlackBerry Protect also has a slew of features intended to handle every businessman’s worst nightmare: the dreaded loss of the BlackBerry. First up is the ability to remotely lock your phone and set up a password if you leave your BlackBerry somewhere or it gets stolen. Next, you can set up a “lost and found” screen with a polite message listing your contact information and saying “If you find this device, call me at “000-000-0000,” so a good Samaritan who finds the phone can get in touch with you to return it. If you have doubts in your fellow man, you can go into the web portal and use the “view current location” feature to see where your missing phone is via the phone’s built-in GPS system. Finally, if you are unable to find your phone and no one has called, you can delete all the information off the phone using the Remote Wipe feature. This will include all data stored on the phone as well as on the Micro-SD card. But while this may feel like the end of the world for some of you out there, it really isn’t, because the last feature on BlackBerry Protect is the ability to wirelessly restore all backed up data from your old BlackBerry onto a new device.

Some smart phone aficionados may be thinking that this sounds a little familiar right now. This is because this is not the first time a company has created a service like this to protect its smart phones. Apple has a strikingly similar service called MobileMe, which has the exact same safety features as BlackBerry Protect when it comes to locating, protecting, and wiping lost or stolen phones. So what does BlackBerry Protect have to offer that MobileMe doesn’t? Well, MobileMe costs a grand total of $99 per year for an individual subscription after a 60-day free trial, and $149 per year for a family pack. BlackBerry Protect, on the other hand, is free. I know it may hurt to admit it, Apple fans, but RIM really did outdo Apple on this one.

Unfortunately, BlackBerry Protect is not available to the general public yet and is currently only being launched as a beta via invite codes through BlackBerry Beta Zone. RIM has assured customers, however, that there will an open public beta available later this year. Overall, I think that this is a brilliant move on RIM’s part. Any successful company knows that the name of the game at the end of the day is customer satisfaction, and I for one can’t see any reason why BlackBerry users won’t be satisfied knowing that their BlackBerry is soon to be one of the most thoroughly protected smart phones out there and at no cost to them.

Link: BlackBerry