Jumat, 31 Agustus 2012
New Battlefield 3 Video Shows off the Upcoming Alborz Mountains Map
Battlefield 3 is getting ready to see the release of its next expansion, Armored Kill, and, in order to get the hype going around the upcoming add-on, developer DICE has posted a video with one of the maps from the DLC – Alborz Mountains.
Battlefield 3’s multiplayer expansions feature all sorts of impressive maps, from huge ones, like the levels in the Back to Karkand DLC, to more confined ones, like the maps from the recent Close Quarters add-on.
Currently, DICE is getting ready to debut Armored Kill, an add-on filled with expansive levels, including the biggest map in the history of the franchise.
In order to attract more fans to the DLC, the studio has just posted a video that shows off one of the upcoming maps, in the form of Alborz Mountains.
As you can see in the footage above, the level has many snow-filled portions, so it’s going to be interesting to see how players will drive their tanks and vehicles on the new map.
Battlefield 3: Armored Kill DLC is out next month, although official release dates aren’t known as of yet.
Via: New Battlefield 3 Video Shows off the Upcoming Alborz Mountains Map
EA Says Recent PopCap Layoffs Show Shift to Mobile Games Focus
The recent lay-offs that have hit PopCap Games are apparently normal, according to a executive from Electronic Arts, and they show that the company is moving towards a new mobile focus while also creating more integration between the developer and the publisher.
He added, “So with PopCap, what we found is that there are some areas inside PopCap that were duplicative what EA was doing; a lot of central resources, legal, business affairs those types of things so we accelerated the integration there.”
Gibeau says that many of the layoffs were also designed to underline the move towards mobile games at PopCap, which has been so far mostly focusing on pure social experiences that arrived on a variety of platforms.
The executive says that mobile gaming is the fastest growing area of the video games business and it makes sense for Electronic Arts to use PopCap Games to exploit the opportunities that it is presented with.
The Electronic Arts representative also believes that the problems that Zynga is having are also linked with the move from social to mobile gaming and sees the company as a worthy rival in the near future.
Frank Gibeau has also addressed the issue of the next console generation from Microsoft and Sony and he believes that EA is well equipped to deal with the transition, with developer DICE the company that has the ability to deliver a high profile title during the launch window.
DICE has revealed that it was working on Battlefield 4 even as it is supporting the previous title in the series.
Via: EA Says Recent PopCap Layoffs Show Shift to Mobile Games Focus
Paradox Unveils Napoleon Era Wargame March of the Eagles
Developer and publisher Paradox Interactive has announced that it was working on a new wargame set during the Napoleonic era called March of the Eagles, which will allow gamers to take control of one major European power from 1805 to 1815, fighting with or against the mighty armies of the French general and Emperor.
The new game will focus on the tactical innovation and the strategic challenges that the countries faced during the era and will allow them to control a number of historical great generals, each of them with a specific skill level and a number of unique skills.
Gamers will also be able to create alliances and use diplomacy to take enemies out of the fight without spilling any blood.
March of the Eagles will also introduce logistics into the equation, asking players to keep their supply lines secure before going into an important battle.
The game will be launched during the first months of 2013 on digital distribution services.
Via: Paradox Unveils Napoleon Era Wargame March of the Eagles
IFA 2012: Samsung GALAXY S III LTE Hands-On
Samsung’s third generation Galaxy S smartphone has just received an LTE version in Europe. We’ve just spotted the Galaxy S III LTE at Vodafone Germany’s booth here at IFA 2012 in Berlin, Germany.
The good news is that the smartphone will come with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system out of the box, but the bad news is that it will go on sale for around 750 EUR outright.
The LTE version of Galaxy S III comes with similar specs as the HSPA+ model, so expect this one to be equipped with a quad-core processor clocked at 1.4 GHz, complemented by 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory.
Samsung Galaxy S III LTE will be available in European countries with LTE network coverage, so don’t expect this one in your country unless a carrier offers 4G services.
Via: IFA 2012: Samsung GALAXY S III LTE Hands-On
IFA 2012: Huawei Ascend G330 Hands-On
Chinese company Huawei recently unveiled a range of Android devices at IFA 2012. Among them, the Huawei Ascend G330 promises high-end features at a low price.
In this regard, the smartphone is powered by a dual core processor clocked at 1GHz, which is complemented by 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory, which can be further expanded up to 32GB via microSD memory card.
Furthermore, the device sports a 4-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports 480 x 800 pixels resolution, and packs a 5-megapixel rear camera along with a secondary VGA front facing camera for video calls.
The smartphone is powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system out of the box, and will be launched on the market in October for a suggested retail price of 200 EUR off-contract.
Via: IFA 2012: Huawei Ascend G330 Hands-On
Treyarch Still Working on Call of Duty: Black Ops 2s Scoring System
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 introduces a new scorestreak system in its multiplayer mode but developer Treyarch is still tinkering with the actual scoring mechanic, as it wants to reward all players for their actions, not just for earning more kills.
Treyarch’s Game Design Director, David Vonderhaar, talked with OneofSwords about this feature and revealed that he and his team are still tweaking the values for specific things, like kills, in order to make sure everything is as balanced as possible.
“These are the values that we change a lot,” Vonderhaar said about scoring events. “We’ve changed them about three times since we got out of Gamescom already, and we’re going to keep changing them until we’re satisfied. We’re working very hard to find some level of standardization in certain types of events that are very common — like a kill. Should a kill be variable? Should it be 50, should it be 100? Can it be 50 in this mode and 100 in this? Does that make sense? So we’re working through that.”
The Treyarch developer also revealed that each game mode, from team deathmatch to capture the flag, would have its own end-of-game scoreboards, which reflect the players who were the most efficient at the mode’s goal.
“The scoreboard is specific to the game mode you’re playing. We try to find the most appropriate stats that are contributing to helping your team win — plants and defends, flag captures and defends, those kinds of things are on the scoreboard,” he added.
Don’t forget, however, that aggressive behavior will be rewarded with better scores, so it’s still important to go on the offense, instead of playing defensively in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.
Via: Treyarch Still Working on Call of Duty: Black Ops 2s Scoring System
Kim Kardashian Working Out like Crazy to Fit into Kanye Wests Designs
Before she made a name for herself as a huge reality star and businesswoman, Kim Kardashian was famous mostly for two things, not including her association with Paris Hilton: her homemade tape and her ample backside. She’s trying to downsize the latter.
Just days after she posted a photo of it on Twitter, saying she thought her bum looked too big in a pair of black jeans, comes the report that Kim is desperate to slim down so that she can fit into her boyfriend’s designs.
The problem is, the NY Daily News writes, that Kim can’t fit into the clothes Kanye gave her. Consequently, she’s hitting the gym again to make sure she does so ASAP.
“Sources tell Confidenti@l the Keeping Up With the Kardashians beauty has been working out like crazy to lose her bountiful booty. It seems she was unable to fit into dresses that her boyfriend, Kanye West, created for his DW line and bought from European designers he fancies,” the NY Daily News writes.
To make sure she sheds the extra weight, Kim has started going to the gym again in LA.
“Kim was extremely embarrassed and upset when she couldn’t fit into Kanye designs he had picked out for her. She was busting out of his clothes and even had to go a couple of sizes bigger on some of the dresses,” an insider says for the publication.
Kanye, it would seem, has also been encouraging Kim to become svelter, even hiring a trainer for her while they were vacationing in Hawaii.
“Kanye loves European designers and Kim’s body is too curvaceous,” another source whispers.
Via: Kim Kardashian Working Out like Crazy to Fit into Kanye Wests Designs
Wine 1.5.12 Brings D3DX9 and XRandR Improvements
Alexandre Julliard announced a few hours ago, August 31st, development version 1.5.12 of the Wine app, which brings assorted bugfixes and improvements, among which we can mention:
• Individual joysticks can now be disabled;
• Improved support for D3DX9 constant tables;
• Various XRandR improvements;
• Lots of other small bug fixes.
Wine 1.5.12 also brings bug fixes for the following Windows games: Rayman 2, Pro Evolution Soccer 2010/2011 demo, Victoria 2 demo, Dragon Age 2 demo, NightSky HD, Cave Story+, Diablo III, Beyond Divinity, And Yet It Moves, and Patrizier 2 Gold.
For more details about this release, you can always view the complete changelog, which contains all the improvements and fixes.
Download Wine 1.5.12 right now from Softpedia. Remember that this is a development release and it should NOT be installed on production machines. It is intended to be used for testing purposes only.
Via: Wine 1.5.12 Brings D3DX9 and XRandR Improvements
Climate Change Could Turn Us All into Vegetarians
Earlier today, we talked about how The World Bank just announced that food prices for July have increased by as much as 10% when compared to the previous month.
As explained, this was due to the fact that climate change has brought about a series of changes in environmental conditions, which in turn have affected agricultural practices on a global scale.
Apparently, recent studies have shown that, given the improper management of existing water resources, and also taking into consideration the fact that bountiful crops are ever more tricky in obtaining, it may very well be that soon enough we will not be able to grow animals for food.
Rumor has it that said “soon enough” will be sometime around the year 2050, so the case is now made that people need to learn to gradually let go of meat and turn towards fruits and vegetables instead.
Life's Little Mysteries quotes a report recently made public by specialists working with the Stockholm International Institute, in which it is stated that, “There will not be enough water available to produce food for the expected 9 billion population in 2050 if we follow current trends.”
Backing up this claim, one other researcher supposedly made a case of how, “Producing food requires more water than any other human activity – and meat production is very water-intensive.”
“We might go back to when Sunday night dinner was [the only time] when you had a chicken on the table,” argues one other specialist who looked into this issue.
Truth be told, they might actually be right, seeing how tremendous amounts of resources need be used by farmers on a yearly basis in order to raise the cattle or the poultry we enjoy eating on a regular basis.
Thus, there are some who claim that a cow eats 17 times more grain calories than it gives back once it ends up on our plates, so speaking strictly from a financial standpoint, the arguments brought forth by these researchers seem to us quite compelling ones.
Down below you have a video released quite a while back by the World Wildlife Fund as part of their “Change the Way You Think About Everything Campaign” which pretty much summarizes the points made in this article.
Via: Climate Change Could Turn Us All into Vegetarians
Next-Generation Consoles Will Appear in About a Year, EA Says
Electronic Arts’ Games label boss, Frank Gibeau, has revealed that next-generation consoles will be released in “about a year’s time” and that EA is more than ready to make the transition from the current PS3 or Xbox 360 to the future PlayStation 4 or Xbox 720.
Next-generation consoles have been rumored for quite some time and many analysts already predict that both Sony and Microsoft will reveal their new devices next year and even release them onto the market before the end of 2013.
The EA executive first talked about the current market and revealed that the lack of growth is due to the old consoles.
"We're into the sixth or seventh year now of this generation of hardware and so it's a mature market. In terms of [software sales] fatigue, I consider it more of a mature market, a stable market. [Sales] flatten out a bit towards the end [of a console cycle]. Typically a transition year before new hardware comes out you see that flattening effect inside of the business.”
Gibeau then predicted that new consoles would soon arrive, saying that, “The new hardware is going to be coming out in about a year's time, so we're right around this period in time when the market's going to slow down and then you have a new game changer coming with all new technology, all new hardware, and another growth period."
When asked to elaborate, the EA executive quickly revealed that he signed non-disclosure agreements so he won’t reveal anything else.
"I don't know what they're calling them, I'm under non-disclosure so I can't comment too much about what they're specifically doing," he added.
Gibeau also noted that EA is more than ready for the next-generation consoles, as it wants to invest heavily and make sure that it will emerge as a leader in terms of games for the PS4 or Xbox 720.
"'Transition is our friend' is kind of the saying we have around EA because it gives you a chance to reset everything. And we've done enough transitions in this business that we know what we're doing, and we're going to go after this one in a big way. But it is a time where you see new companies emerge as leaders and some traditional companies fall away."
While both the PS3 and Xbox 360 are here to stay, at least according to Sony and Microsoft, it’s quite possible that their replacements will be revealed sooner rather than later.
Via: Next-Generation Consoles Will Appear in About a Year, EA Says
Watch: Hamsters Almost Sent Flying by Their Spinning Wheel
If you enjoyed the video about the hyperactive baby goat, you will most definitely enjoy this one about two hyperactive hamsters who are so determined to make their spinning wheel actually take their places, that they are almost sent flying through the air by the centrifugal forces.
Naturally, the people watching could hardly control their giggles, yet luckily for us they were still able to hold up the camera and shoot this video.
In all fairness, except for the fact that they are some of the cutest animals we have ever laid our eyes on, these two hamsters do not really scream “environmental protection.”
Still, they are fun to look at and since a break from the harsher realities of daily routine is always more than welcomed, no harm can come out of enjoying their relentless efforts to reach their imaginary destination via a spinning wheel.
Via: Watch: Hamsters Almost Sent Flying by Their Spinning Wheel
Gold Farmers Begin Hacking Guild Wars 2 Accounts
Guild Wars 2 was launched only a few days ago, but gold farmers and other nefarious individuals have already begun hacking their way into the accounts of legitimate players and making off with all their valuable items.
Guild Wars 2 was released last weekend for those who pre-ordered it and became available for everyone earlier this week.
We have already revealed that developer ArenaNet has begun suspending players for offensive names or language and that hackers have begun sending fake password reset emails to players.
Now, it seems that shady individuals and gold farmers have already begun breaking into the accounts of legitimate players, as more and more people are complaining about missing items and gold.
What’s more, some breaches are even more serious, as one player, via NakedSecurity, revealed that a hacker used the credit card he attached to the account to buy over $150 (around €119) in gems.
ArenaNet has pledged to investigate all these hacks and once again advised players to stay safe and use strong passwords.
Given the popularity of Guild Wars 2, however, expect hackers and gold farmers to continue attacking its players.
Via: Gold Farmers Begin Hacking Guild Wars 2 Accounts
MSI GTX 660 Power Edition Pictured GK106 Details Exposed
We’ve already reported about the Nvidia GK106 GPU here, but it seems like we were somewhat right and, if the GPU has 1152 CUDA cores on the semiconductor die, the retail cards will not come with all the processing units enabled.
There is the unlikely possibility that the GK106 really has only 960 CUDA cores inside, like depicted in MSI’s marketing material on its GTX 660 Power Edition card.
The most likely scenario is that Nvidia will eventually stop using the GK106 for the GTX 660 Ti cards and go for the cheaper and cooler GK106.
We will not have to wait too much to receive official confirmation from Nvidia as the GK106 and the GTX 660 video card will be officially launched next week.
Via: MSI GTX 660 Power Edition Pictured GK106 Details Exposed
The New Wallpapers of Ubuntu 12.10
Last week we've announced that the Ubuntu 12.10 wallpaper contest emerged, which took place on Flickr, whcih ended on August 28th.
It took only two days to decide the winner, and today, August 31st, we are proud to announce that Canonical packed and uploaded the winning photos on the daily build of the upcoming Ubuntu 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal) operating system.
This time there are fewer, therefore only twelve new wallpapers were added, not including the default one, which looks unchanged from the previous Ubuntu release.
In order of appearance, the names of the default wallpapers in the Ubuntu 12.10 are: A Little Quetzal by Vlad Gerasimov (VladStudio), Below Clouds by kobinho, Blue Dandelion by Jaorizabal, Green Plant by Simon Schlegl, Cairn by Sylvain Naudin, Early Morning by Robert Katzki, Frozen by Fernando Garcila Redondo, H by Manuel Sagredo, Pantano de Orellana by mgarciaiz, Roof Tiles by Finn Sturdy, Vanishing by James Wilson, and Gran Canaria by ALF.
The wallpapers were created by community members. Congrats to the authors of these beautiful photographs! Without further ado, these are the 12 new default official wallpapers of Ubuntu 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal):
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
Powered by Linux kernel 3.5, Ubuntu 12.10 will be supported for two years and it will include default apps like Mozilla Firefox 16, Mozilla Thunderbird 16, LibreOffice 3.6, and much more.
Ubuntu 12.10 will have a much improved Unity user interface built on top of the GNOME 3.6 desktop environment.
Don't forget to visit our website next week, on September 6th, for a detailed report on the first Beta release of Ubuntu 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal), where we will unveil more of Quantal's new features!
About Ubuntu
Ubuntu is a Linux distribution for your desktop or server, with a fast and easy install, regular releases, a tight selection of excellent packages installed by default, every other package you can imagine available from the network, and professional technical support from Canonical Ltd and hundreds of other companies around the world.
Via: The New Wallpapers of Ubuntu 12.10
Kindle Fire and Paperwhite Kindle Rumor Roundup
Though we're still a week away from the big Amazon event that will probably see the launch of the next-generation Kindle Fire, or Kindle Fires if Amazon comes up with two devices, as well as the next generation of the boring old e-ink Kindles, there's been no shortage of Kindle rumors.
If that wasn't enough, a number of photos of the purported device have leaked and they look legit.
The Kindle Fire 2 is still a black plastic slab, but it seems to be sporting a bit more gear, such as a front-facing camera and a mic. Skype video chat is also, apparently, possible with the new device.
Speaking of gear sporting, the next Kindle Fire is also said to be bundling a GPS unit, unlike the first-generation device, and run Nokia Maps while it's at it.
Amazon bought a map startup a couple of months back, but it doesn't seem to be using that technology.
 |
Calling this one a rumor is selling it short, Amazon is guaranteed to be rolling out new Kindles and they're guaranteed to have light, if only because Nook did it. Plus, we've even got a photo of the new "paperwhite" Kindle.
It seems that all that Amazon could announce is already known so we may be looking forward to a very boring and uneventful presentation next Friday.
That said, Amazon may very well have a couple of things up its sleeve and is only teasing us and keeping interest high with these "leaks." We'll find out soon enough if the new Kindle Fire has what it takes to take on the Nexus 7 and the rumored mini iPad.
Via: Kindle Fire and Paperwhite Kindle Rumor Roundup
ASUS Vivo Tab RT Tegra 3 Tablet Runs Amazing Unreal 3 Demo
The IFA 2012 conference is now in full swing in Berlin, Germany and Nvidia got along with ASUS and put together a nice 3D demonstration on the new ASUS Vivo Tab RT tablet that we presented here. The new tablet is powered by Tegra 3 and will be launched this October.
The demo is not quite as “fluid” as Nvidia would like us to believe and that is clearly visible in the video.
We’re not saying that Tegra 3 is not a powerful chip, but if the stuttering and slowdowns visible in the Epic Citadel demo rear their ugly heads in real-time gaming, it won’t be a pleasant experience.
This demonstration is reportedly clear proof that porting software from iOS, Windows 7 and Android to Windows 8 and Windows RT is not “nearly impossible” as some have said in the past.
Nevertheless, the demonstration is a clear testament that Nvidia’s Tegra 3 and ASUS’ Vivo Tab RT are very powerful solutions that are able to run the full desktop DirectX 9 API and a fully-fledged Unreal Engine 3.X.
Therefore, ARM-powered Windows RT tablets will allow some serious gaming in the near future, especially when Qualcomm’s Adreno 320 will show its muscle.
Via: ASUS Vivo Tab RT Tegra 3 Tablet Runs Amazing Unreal 3 Demo
ASUS Vivo Tab RT Runs Windows RT on Tegra 3
The new Vivo Tab RT 10.1” tablet from ASUS is the old Tablet 600 that the company has decided to rebrand before the highly anticipated Windows 8 and Windows RT (Win8 for ARM) launch coming this October.
Therefore, we’re dealing with a 10.1” ARM tablet, but this one doesn’t come with the popular Android operating system. Instead, ASUS’ Vivo Tab RT has Microsoft’s Windows 8 in its ARM compatible implementation.
For tablet fans that are used to Google’s Android and don’t really know what Windows RT is, we must mention that RT is in fact a fully-fledged ARM version of the Windows 8.
The most important fact to be remembered is that Windows RT is not compatible with Windows 7, Windows XP or VISTA programs and games like the normal Windows 8 is.
Both operating systems look the same, but the compatibility is completely different.
Our personal impression is that Windows RT on the ASUS Vivo Tab RT moves a whole lot faster than Windows 8 on the x86 ASUS Vivo Tab powered by Intel’s Atom that we presented here.
The Vivo Tab RT is powered by the popular Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core ARM Cortex A9 mobile processor.
Via: ASUS Vivo Tab RT Runs Windows RT on Tegra 3
Ubuntu 12.10 Adds Encrypted Installation
Finally! Canonical implemented disk encryption via the Ubuntu installer for enhanced security in the upcoming Ubuntu 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal) operating system.
This is something that should have been added years ago! However, it was possible before via the Alternate CD, which is now gone, of Ubuntu.
As you can see in the screenshot above (and the one below) the encryption option appears when you choose an installation type for your new Ubuntu system.
If you check the "Encrypt the new Ubuntu installation for security," in the next step you'll have to input a security key.
Moreover, for extra security there's also an option to overwrite empty disk space, which will make the entire installation process a lot longer. Keep in mind though, that any files outside the Ubuntu installation will not be encrypted.
Oh, and please don't confuse this with the "Home encryption" function, which is still available when you setup your username and password!
Via: Ubuntu 12.10 Adds Encrypted Installation
Nvidias GTX 650 Launches Next Week [Pictured]
Nvidia’s GTX 650 video cards are using the same well known Kepler GPU architecture, but unlike the GTX 660, GTX 670, GTX 680 and GTX 690 that use the a fully-fledged GK104 GPU, the GTX uses a smaller GPU called GK107.
Our readers should already know about the GK107, as this is the same GPU used on the GTS 640 low-range video cards.
The GK107 has the same Kepler architecture, just like we said, but it features only 384 CUDA cores running at a frequency around 1GHz.
This is a rather slow GPU, but the good news is that Nvidia is pairing it with new GDDR5 video memory that runs at a high 5 GHz, much faster than the DDR3 memory used on the GTS 640.
Guys at vga.it68.com have managed to get a picture of the reference design and it shows that this is a small video card with a modest cooling system, but is still requires and extra power line to be connected to its 6-pin connector in the upper right corner.
Via: Nvidias GTX 650 Launches Next Week [Pictured]
Watch: The Onion Mocks Our Fear of Catching Diseases from Animals
Yet another video belonging to The Onion's “Our Horrifying Planet” series hit the public eye. Not long ago, we showed you a very similar one mockingly praising the fracking industry.
Well, we're guessing the time has now come for The Onion to pick on some people's irrational fear of catching all sorts of diseases simply by sharing the planet with various animal species.
Granted, some of them pose considerable risks to public health, but this does not mean that we have to destroy whatever biodiversity is still left out there just to make sure we keep ourselves and our families safe and sound.
In all fairness, the video is worth watching not just because of its message, but also because of the funny way in which it is narrated: it may sound like some very serious documentary, but we all know that this is not the case.
Via: Watch: The Onion Mocks Our Fear of Catching Diseases from Animals
The Iceman Trailer: Tell God to Come Down and Stop Me
If there’s one man who can play a cold-hearted serial killer / psychopath / devoted family man, that’s Michael Shannon. Above is the first trailer for his latest film, the star-studded “The Iceman.”
*Please note that discretion is recommended when viewing it because it contains profane language and images of excessive violence.
What’s even more amazing about “The Iceman,” which comes from director Ariel Vromen, is that it also boasts an amazing supporting cast, including James Franco, Chris Evans, Ray Liotta, Winona Ryder, David Schwimmer, and Stephen Dorff.
Shannon plays real-life mob hitman Richard Kuklinski, who killed an estimated 100 men during his entire “career.”
“The Iceman” doesn’t have a US release date yet, but it’s already opened at the Venice Film Festival, now well underway.
Via: The Iceman Trailer: Tell God to Come Down and Stop Me
Tracy Anderson Is Mortified by Moms Reaction to Body Shaming Comments
She’s worked with some of the most famous (and gorgeous) ladies in the world, from Jennifer Lopez to Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow, but Tracy Anderson’s recent comments did not win her any fans with regular women.
She’s mortified that moms from all over the world would see her comment on how women find in pregnancy an excuse to gain weight as body shaming.
Though she told DuJour magazine that seeing women complaining that pregnancy ruined their body is “the worst thing,” Anderson tried to play her comment down on GMA, saying that wasn’t what she meant to say.
“I am so mortified, it sounds so bad when it comes back like that. It’s not what I meant,” Anderson says, confronted by angry moms who felt “judged” by what she’d said.
“I’ve spent 14 years very focused creating all of this original content, testing on women to make sure I can give women something that really works so they can be their most empowered self. So the last thing I would do is judge a woman, especially after children,” Anderson goes on to say.
She doesn’t apologize though, perhaps because she doesn’t believe she has a reason to do that. In the end, women who ruin their body in pregnancy by eating too much are responsible for what they do, she goes on to say.
“What I mean is that pregnancy is difficult and every pregnancy is completely unique. We crave a lot. I think in today’s society where women have all of this pressure to look a certain way… I think that they turn to diet a lot because that’s what works for them because fitness routines usually let them down,” Tracy explains.
“So when they do get pregnant it’s like ‘Oh my gosh!’ It’s not just like, ‘I’m going to let my body go for this pregnancy,’ but also it’s like, ‘I can eat all the things that I never let myself eat. I see people that come to me after pregnancy and they didn’t need to necessarily gain that much…” she adds.
As we also noted the other day, Tracy sat down for an interview with DuJour magazine, boasting of shedding almost all the pregnancy weight in just 6 weeks and saying some women gorge on food only because they’re with child.
[YOUTUBE=www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4yuJPs3c34]
Via: Tracy Anderson Is Mortified by Moms Reaction to Body Shaming Comments
The Latest Chrome Ads Are as Funny and as Googly as Ever
Google Chrome is the biggest browser on the planet, by Google's own admission and some independent though not unanimous reports. You'd think then that it doesn't really need any advertising.
But why mess with a good thing, Chrome ads have always been funny or at least interesting and the latest batch promises to be the same.
Actually, they are the same, the latest ads from the UK don't stray far from the tried and tested Google ad formula. That's not necessarily a bad thing though.
The latest in the "The web is what you make if it" series show off people building a business online, playing Angry Birds, or feeling inspired by Chrome apps.
The six ads show off different Chrome features, but they do it in the most subtle way possible, emphasizing the human aspect rather than the technology, something you wouldn't necessarily expect from Google.
Via: The Latest Chrome Ads Are as Funny and as Googly as Ever
IFA 2012: Samsung GALAXY Note 2 LTE Hands-On
The star of this year’s IFA trade-fair, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has just gotten an LTE variant. We’ve spotted the device at Vodafone Germany’s booth here in Berlin and we also found out how much this monster will cost you.
Well, it looks like Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE will be available in Germany for no less than 640 EUR out right.
However, Germans willing to commit to a long term contract will be able to purchase is much cheaper via Vodafone.
Hardware-wise, the LTE version of Galaxy Note 2 LTE is basically the same as the HSPA+ version, though it does offer enhanced data speed download and upload.
It is also worth mentioning, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE comes with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system out of the box.
Via: IFA 2012: Samsung GALAXY Note 2 LTE Hands-On
New Leaked Video Confirms Nariko and MediEvils Dan for PS All-Stars Battle Royale
Despite confirming quite a few characters this week for the upcoming PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, SuperBot Entertainment has just seen two new fighters leak on the web ahead of their official announcements, in the form of Nariko from Heavenly Sword and Sir Daniel Fortesque from the MediEvil series.
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is out in November and plenty of fighters have already been unveiled by developer SuperBot and publisher Sony.
Sadly, many have also leaked ahead of their official announcements, so the two companies are now playing catch-up by revealing details about characters like Evil Cole MacGrath from Infamous or Raiden from Metal Gear Solid.
Now, two other fighters have also been leaked, in the form of Heavenly Sword’s Nariko and MediEvil’s Sir Daniel Fortesque.
The two new characters appeared in a video that went live a bit early on GameSpot. The footage was taken down soon enough but not before it was cloned by other YouTube users, so you can easily check it out above.
As you can see, the two fighters are looking pretty good, as are the already revealed Evil Cole and Raiden.
Expect to hear official details about the new characters soon enough.
Via: New Leaked Video Confirms Nariko and MediEvils Dan for PS All-Stars Battle Royale
Toshiba Intros Satellite P845 Touchscreen Multimedia Laptop
When Microsoft’s Windows 8 launches this October, hundreds of new Windows 8 laptops will come with it. Most of these will be re-launches, but some of them bring something really new and desirable.
Many were wondering why the touchscreen is solely reserved for tablets and smartphones and the answer is not hardware technology, but software. It might be surprising, but the hardware and the associated production costs were not the problem.
The problem was the software support for the touch interface.
That task was left to the system manufacturer and it really is a lot of work to make software that’s perfectly compatible with a certain hardware configuration, a certain operating system and all the software and games you will run on it.
Now that Microsoft took care of that and the operating system handles the touch interface, any touch-enabled device will work perfectly with Windows 8.
Among all the tablets, transformers and AIOs, Toshiba is launching a classic notebook powered by Intel’s Ivy Bridge that has the novelty of featuring a touchscreen with multi-touch support.
The new device is called Toshiba Satellite P845 and features a rather small 14” TruBrite LED backlit display and premium multimedia capabilities.
The almost decade-old collaboration between Toshiba and harman/kardon brought high-quality SRS Premium Sound 3D speakers to the new P845 laptop, while the images can also be transmitted through Intel’s WiDi wireless display technology.
The P845 comes with a standard 6 GB of DDR3 RAM memory and a modest 640 GB HDD, but the way the global duopoly on the HDD market is going, we can’t expect anything better.
There are three USB 3.0 ports complete with USB Sleep-and-Charge and USB Sleep-and-Music and an optional Blu-ray Disc drive.
The price has not yet been disclosed, but the device will be available once Microsoft launches Windows 8 this autumn.
Via: Toshiba Intros Satellite P845 Touchscreen Multimedia Laptop
Microsoft's Student Challenge the Imagine Cup Is Underway with $300,000 in Prizes
Google's got the Summer of Code, Microsoft has the Imagine Cup. What's more, Imagine Cup has been around for two years longer than GSoC. The tenth edition is soon getting underway and registrations are now open.
Students with a passion for coding are more welcomed to join and the $300,000 in prizes, double last year's sum, should be more than enticing.
The national events come first and this is what students can now register for. If you're a computer science student, you're going to start seeing the posters at your school any time now, but you don't have to go to college to apply, anyone 16 and up is welcomed.
This year, Microsoft is bundling three competitions inside the Imagine Cup, the World Citizenship, Games and Innovation. The winner in each category will get $50,000 with second and third place getting $10,000 and $5,000 respectively.
"When we look at the world of software today and where it's come in the ten years since we created the Imagine Cup, what we see is a whole new generation of people using apps to do great things on all kinds of devices," Microsoft's John Scott Tynes, Imagine Cups competition manager, wrote.
"We see terrific software made by young people, like Facebook and Twitter, getting used not just for recreation but for politics, protest movements, and global issue awareness. We see people playing Angry Birds at bus stops who would never have played a game on their phone two years ago. And we realized that Imagine Cup needed to change, too," he explained the need for the three new competitions.
Beside those three, Microsoft is also hosting three "great challenges," a Windows 8 App challenge, a Windows Phone challenge and a Windows Azure one. The prizes for these are $10,000, $5,000 and $3,000 for the first three places, respectively.
Via: Microsoft's Student Challenge the Imagine Cup Is Underway with $300,000 in Prizes
IFA 2012: Huawei Ascend Y201 Pro Hands-On
Huawei announced six new Android devices at this year IFA trade fair. However, "new" does not apply for some of the products that Huawei showcased these days in Berlin, such as the Ascend P1 and MediaPad FHD 10.
Still, there are some completely new device that have been announced for the first time by the Chinese company.
Huawei Ascend Y201 Pro is budget-friendly smartphone aimed at youngsters, which is powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich integrated with Emotion UI.
Furthermore, the smartphone sports a decent 3.5-inch capacitive touhscreen display that supports 320 x 480 pixels resolution.
Hardware-wise, the Ascend Y201 Pro is equipped with an 800 MHz single core processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory, which can be further expanded up to 32GB via microSD memory card.
According to Huawei, the Ascend Y201 Pro will be available on the market from October for a suggested retail price of 130 EUR.
Via: IFA 2012: Huawei Ascend Y201 Pro Hands-On
HBO Go to Be Available Without a Cable Subscription in Northern Europe
Piracy is an availability issue, or at least, availability plays a large role. After a decade of saying otherwise, it's hard for media companies to admit to their mistake.
But that doesn't mean they're not realizing it was a mistake and, slowly, starting to do something about it.
Yes, this is about Game of Thrones again. And no, it's not coming online in the US anytime soon without an HBO cable subscription, but that is becoming possible in Europe, at least in several Nordic countries.
There are plans to offer the HBO Go service in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark to anyone willing to pony up whatever HBO ends up asking for it, regardless of whether they have a cable subscription or not.
It's a first step, but it's an important one. If the move is a success, expect HBO to do the same in markets where it doesn't already have a large TV subscription market share, i.e. not the US.
Via: HBO Go to Be Available Without a Cable Subscription in Northern Europe
IFA 2012: LG's 84-Inch UD 3D TV, 3,840 x 2,160 Resolution
This year's IFA trade show in Berlin, Germany, is where the great brands on the consumer IT market have chosen as the stage for their 4K super-large displays.
As the title says, we will talk about LG' model here, although we should probably say it up front that we'll show as much as we'll tell.
The 84-inch TV features a native resolution of 3,840 x 2,160, or UD. It is named 84LM9600 and cand handle 3D as well as it can 2D (the refresh rate is, thus, 120 Hz or a multiplier of it).
The company brought several of these things to its large booth and set them up near another important product lineup: OLED TVs.
We'll write about those separately though. For now, gaze upon the great wonder that is the first 3D UD TV in the gallery below.
Via: IFA 2012: LG's 84-Inch UD 3D TV, 3,840 x 2,160 Resolution
5 Million Kindle Fire Tablets Sold, Amazon "Confirms"
The Kindle Fire has been a success, that much everyone agrees on. But, as Amazon is wont to, the company has never issued any hard numbers, so it's hard to know just how many it has sold.
Well, it used to be hard, but we got a helping hand thanks to the press release announcing that the Kindle Fire has been "sold out."
In it, Amazon boss Jeff Bezos boasts that the Kindle Fire captured 22 percent of the US tablet market. Which means that we can find out how many were sold if we knew how many tablets were sold in total in the US for the past year.
Thankfully, the one good thing that came out of the Samsung vs. Amazon lawsuit is that both companies had to provide accurate sales data.
Based on that sales data, superstar Apple hobby analyst Horace Dediu arrived at the 5 million figure, which seems about right.
5 million Kindle Fires is quite significant, considering that Samsung only managed to sell about half a million Galaxy Tabs. Amazon is going to have a tough time repeating the feat this time around though.
Via: 5 Million Kindle Fire Tablets Sold, Amazon "Confirms"
God of War: Ascension Gets Official Release Date in Europe and the Rest of the World
After quite a lengthy wait, Sony has confirmed official release dates for God of War: Ascension outside North America, revealing when PS3 owners in Europe, the UK and Ireland, as well as Australia or New Zealand can try out the new hack and slash experience.
God of War: Ascension acts as a prequel to the current franchise and sees players take control of Kratos before he became the so-called “Ghost of Sparta.” What’s more, besides this rather intriguing single-player campaign, the game also features a multiplayer mode in which players create their own heroes and fight across different stages and levels.
Now, after confirming a release date for the game in North America many months ago, Sony has now revealed when PS3 owners from other parts of the world would be able to play the hack and slash game.
First up are those in the Europe and PAL region, who get God of War: Ascension on March 13. Those in Australia and New Zealand get it on March 14, while PS3 owners in the UK and Ireland receive the game on March 15.
In case you forgot, North American gamers will be able to play Ascension on March 12.
What’s more, besides the release dates, Sony also revealed that the aforementioned territories would receive not just the game, but also two impressive versions of it, in the form of the Special Edition and the Collector’s Edition, so check out their descriptions below.
The Special Edition will feature a premium steelbook game case, the official game soundtrack (digital version), PS3 dynamic theme and avatar pack, and a multiplayer double XP bonus.
The Collector’s Edition features the ultimate GoW collectible, an 8-inch Kratos figurine. Packaged in a premium steel book game case, the set will also include the official game soundtrack (digital version), a PS3 dynamic theme and avatar pack, a double XP bonus for multiplayer and a DLC pass to unlock all future DLC for the game at no additional cost.
Expect to hear more details about both of these editions and about the DLC that will be released for God of War: Ascension in the future.
Via: God of War: Ascension Gets Official Release Date in Europe and the Rest of the World
Meet the ASUS Vivo Tab 11.6 Tablet with Windows 8
ASUS’ Transformer tablet docking concept should most certainly be patented as it's clearly a genius idea and, when it is well implemented, it makes very productive and impressive devices. Such a device is ASUS’ new Windows 8 tablet based on the x86 vanilla version of the anticipated operating system.
To use x86 Windows 8, ASUS needs an x86 processor inside and, as much as we would have liked that to be AMD’s Hondo or even a fully-fledged Brazos 2.0, ASUS went for Intel’s new Clover Trail Atom low-power processor.
The tablet looks very good and we welcome the big 11.6” screen.
Perfect compatibility with any existing Windows XP, VISTA and Windows 7 x86 application on the market is something truly useful and productive.
The new tablet is a bit heavier than its ARM-based counterpart, but it also has a slightly bigger 11.6” screen featuring the standard 1366 by 768 pixel resolution.
Via: Meet the ASUS Vivo Tab 11.6 Tablet with Windows 8
Nimbuzz 2.5.1 iOS Adds Friend Search
Nimbuzz, the free voice-call and instant messaging app, has been updated to version 2.5.1 on the iPhone to add a new option to search friends within the Nimbuzz network.
A cross-platform communication app, Nimbuzz lets you make free voice calls (VoIP), send unlimited chat messages, and share files across the likes of Facebook, Gtalk Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, and Microsoft’s Live Messenger (MSN).
Version 2.5.1 was just released today with a new Friend Search function that lets you look for your friends by name or ID within the Nimbuzz ecosystem.
“Now you can search for your friends in the 100 million strong Nimbuzz community worldwide with just a click of a button. Search Explore and Expand your friend network on Nimbuzz.”
To search for someone from your contact list, simply drag your contact list down to get to the ‘Search Contacts’ bar and punch in the name of the person you are looking for.
Then just click on the ‘Search on Nimbuzz’ button and “it will list all the search results and you can add people directly from the search result page,” says the development team.
In order to search for friends from the Add Contact screen, just hit the ‘+’ (plus) button at the top right corner of the UI and select “Search for friends.”
Although this is not documented in the release notes, Nimbuzz 2.5.1 also brings a regular feed of app recommendations.
Users can navigate to the “More” tab in Nimbuzz and click on the “Apps+” button to see the respective recommendations.
“Every time you click on Apps+, you get a new recommended App,” says the Nimbuzz team.
The 2.5.1 update further enhances the chatting experience by delivering a number of performance improvements and bug fixes.
Nimbuzz is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad and requires iOS 4.0 or later.
Download Nimbuzz iOS (Free)
Via: Nimbuzz 2.5.1 iOS Adds Friend Search
New Django Unchained Photo Hits the Net
Quentin Tarantino will be back on the big screen with yet another totally Tarantino-esque film come December 25, “Django Unchained.” A new promotional photo for it has been released, just click on the image above to see it in full.
Starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio as the villain, “Django” is a western that tells the story of a bounty hunter who frees a slave to help him hunt down a group of outlaws.
For once, Waltz plays the good guy – sort of.
Back to the picture: you will see that it’s of Foxx in character, as he’s preparing to shoot a six-shooter against a gorgeous winter backdrop. It’s not much, but it beats no picture at all.
“Django Unchained” premiered at Cannes, where it was welcomed with raving reviews. That explains today’s hype around the project.
Via: New Django Unchained Photo Hits the Net
Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014 Scams Already Making the Rounds
There are almost two years until the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games start, but cybercriminals are already trying to trick unsuspecting users in participating in a lottery scheme.
It all starts with an email apparently sent by the Gordon Arthur, the Glasgow 2014 director of communications, experts from Bitdefender inform.
“You have been enlisted in the ongoing ‘XX Commonwealth Games, Glasgow 2014’ to have won the sum of GBP 959,000 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand Great British Pounds) held in UK on August 27,2012 through our Online Balloting System,” the phony email reads.
In order to claim the prize, the victim must provide the fraudsters with his/her name, country of residence, telephone number and occupation. Once these details are provided, the crooks will most likely ask for a transaction fee that’s needed to complete the money transfer.
Glasgow 2014 organizers are aware of these scams and they warn internauts never to provide their personal details in response to such emails.
Via: Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014 Scams Already Making the Rounds
Bing Adds Facebook Photos Search
Google may be the only one catching flack for integrating "social" features into search, but everyone seems to agree that it's the way forward. In fact, Bing is arguably in a better position to service the social niche thanks to its partnership with Facebook.
Evidence of that partnership is the latest "social" feature tacked onto Bing, the ability to search through your and your friends' Facebook photos.
Most may be forgettable, but you may still want to find that one photo in a thousand you actually want to see again.
With Facebook search being a joke and not a very funny one, until now, you didn't really have any options.
Bing Friends Photo search allows you to discover all of the photos in your feed, find photos from your friends and even search through your own photos.
You have to connect your Facebook account to your Microsoft one, of course, and you need to allow the Bing app to browse through your feed, an optional permission, for this to work.
"Bing’s sidebar already shows you friends who have posted photos related to your search based on photo title, album description or caption, making it easy to find friends who might know about your search," Bing's Ian Lin wrote.
"With today’s release, we are taking this a step further and letting you search and browse your Facebook friends’ photos right in Bing," he announced.
"Now simply by clicking on a photo in the sidebar, you will be linked to a full experience on Bing where you can see more photos from your Facebook friends that match your search. From there, you can also search for additional photos, or simply browse the latest photos from your friends," he said.
Via: Bing Adds Facebook Photos Search
Trend Micro Releases Files in Flight Cloud Computing e-Guide
A few years ago, when people talked about the cloud, they would usually refer to it from a meteorological standpoint. Now, the story is a whole lot different. Although many people don’t actually know what the cloud is, it has become an important part of our lives.
In order to help companies and individuals better understand what the cloud is all about, Trend Micro has released a useful e-guide called “Files in Flight: What You Need to Know About Cloud Storage.”
The guide explains the “cloud” concept, the different ways in which it can be used, reasons for moving to the cloud, but also the threats and flaws that haunt it.
It’s clear that there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed when it comes to the cloud. Fujitsu, eBay and Verizon have even teamed up and formed the Big Data Working Group, trying to address some of them.
And since it’s clear that in one way or another you’re bound to interact with the cloud, check out this great guide.
Via: Trend Micro Releases Files in Flight Cloud Computing e-Guide
Adobe Confirms Retina Display Update for Photoshop/Lighroom
Avid users of Adobe’s powerful image editing solutions are being promised that Photoshop and Lightroom will get the Retina-display treatment this fall. Creative Cloud members will be the first to get it, says Adobe.
Confirmed on the Photoshop blog, the Retina update is a joint effort by the Photoshop and Lightroom teams which are “pleased to announce we will provide support for HiDPI displays in the coming months, including the Retina Display available on the new MacBook Pro.”
“Supporting this new technology requires significant work by our product teams and we’re committed to provide a free update to all Photoshop CS6 customers this Fall and Lightroom 4 as soon as the work is complete,” says Adobe.
Creative Cloud members will be the first to receive the Retina Photoshop update. Those enrolled with Creative Cloud receive updates more frequently, and “in advance of updates for non-members.”
Sadly, Photoshop Elements is being put on hold as far as Retina-support is concerned.
“While Photoshop, Photoshop Touch and Lightroom will be joining Adobe Ideas in their support of HiDPI Retina Displays, Photoshop Elements will not fully support HiDPI displays in the immediate future,” Adobe says.
The Flash makers promise to assess the situation and determine the amount of resources required to support these new displays in Lightroom, at which point it may begin development.
Creative Cloud members are again favored with a new set of features planned for release in the coming months. Adobe offers no specifics, but customers are told to “stay tuned for more details.”
Adobe thanks customers for their patience as they work out the kinks to make Photoshop Retina-ready.
Via: Adobe Confirms Retina Display Update for Photoshop/Lighroom
WolframAlpha Brought to Your Desktop
The power of Wolfram|Alpha is truly amazing. What's even greater is that it's available for free to anyone with Internet access. For those who don't know yet, Wolfram|Alpha is a pioneering project with the goal of making the world's information computable.
Basically, Wolfram|Alpha uses numbers and facts to give you a concrete answer to your question. It solves intricate equations and shows you the steps it took to get to the end result.
Wolfram|Alpha also provides detailed statistics in a great number of domains, allows you to compare two or more entities, and much more. The possibilities are gigantic.
WolfCalc is a lightweight and affordable desktop application ($1.99 from the App Store) that provides access to all the functions of the Wolfram|Alpha Computational Knowledge Engine.
The Looks
As the developer has already stated, WolfCalc is a minimalistic application as far as the user interface is concerned. Its main window has a standard Mac OS X look and feel and you'll be able to adjust its size by dragging one of its corners.
WolfCalc can be opened in two ways – mobile or standard. The standard view is exactly the same as the website-based version and the mobile view is smaller and doesn't include services such as favorites or history. By default, WolfCalc will open in the mobile view.
Since there is nothing to compare between WolfCalc's standard view and the website-based version, we will mostly discuss about the advantages and disadvantages of WolfCalc when experienced in the mobile view.
The mobile view will only enable you to search and view the results. You will find the search box in the main window, where you can input your questions. Here, you can also access a link to several examples on how to use Wolfram|Alpha.
From the lower toolbar, you will be able to use three standard buttons that help you navigate inside the application with more ease: the forward, back and reload buttons.
After you've finished typing your search query and hit the enter key, the result window will be displayed, of course. This window perfectly resembles the browser-based result frame.
The main reason for using a small front end like WolfCalc instead of a browser is to get rid of all the distractions. Also, WolfCalc was built with accessibility in mind. Instead of clicking on the Wolfram tab from your browser, you can simply use the WolfCalc application.
Since WolfCalc’s window is only as big as the result frame, you can move it to any area of your screen. Think of WolfCalc as a sort of desktop calculator but a lot more powerful.
Additionally, WolfCalc can stay on top of other windows. If you're working on a small screen (e.g. a MacBook), then this option will be quite useful to you.
A major drawback of the mobile view is that it doesn't allow you to log in to your Wolfram|Alpha account. Consequently, you won't be able to access your favorite computations, the history and preferences (not to mention the Pro features) that the free browser-based version provides.
However, if you really need to access these options, switch to the Standard view or open the website-based version.
The Works
Other than being a front end to the Wolfram|Alpha Computational Knowledge Engine, WolfCalc doesn't bring any new features of its own. If you are already accustomed to Wolfram|Alpha, then you won't need any help in using this app.
In other words, everything you can do with this app is also available on the Wolfram|Alpha website. Note that, since WolfCalc is a front end, it will need an Internet connection to work.
On a more positive note, we observed that the loading time of the result window isn't different from the browser-based version. This makes WolfCalc ideal when you need to quickly solve a mathematical equation, for example.
The Good
WolfCalc's mobile view is very compact and readily accessible. This way, you will be able to focus on your work without any distractions getting in your way.
The Bad
The mobile view is probably too simplistic for some users. It should at least include links to the favorites, history and preferences.
The Truth
WolfCalc does a great job bringing Wolfram|Alpha to the desktop. Although some of Wolfram|Alpha’s services aren't available in the mobile view, we can still consider WolfCalc to be a noteworthy and easy-to-use OS X utility for accessing this powerful knowledge engine.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |
Via: WolframAlpha Brought to Your Desktop
Langganan:
Postingan (Atom)