Selasa, 31 Juli 2012

Google Releases Chrome 21 Stable for Linux


Google proudly announced last evening, July 31st, the stable release of the Google Chrome 21 web browser for Linux, Macintosh, Windows and Chrome Frame platforms.

Google Chrome 21 (the actual version is 21.0.1180.57) introduces a number of new features, such as a an API for high-quality audio and video communication.

"What if web apps could see? What if they could hear? In today’s Chrome Stable release, when you give them permission, they can."

"Chrome now includes the getUserMedia API, which lets you grant web apps access to your camera and microphone without a plug-in. The getUserMedia API is the first step in WebRTC, a new real-time communications standard which aims to allow high-quality video and audio communication on the web." - was stated in the official release announcement.

Moreover, Google Chrome 21 includes deeper integration of Google Cloud Print, enhanced support for gamepads, as well as support for high-resolution Mac Retina screens. It also contains lots of fixes that can be viewed in the official changelog.

The Google Chrome 21.0.1180.57 web browser is distributed as .deb files for the latest Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (Precise Pangolin) and Debian 6.0 distributions, as well as .rpm files for all RPM-based Linux operating systems out there. The binary packages are supported on both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures.

Review image
Google Chrome 21.0.1180.57 on Ubuntu 12.10

About Google Chrome

Google Chrome is a revolutionary web browser that makes surfing the Internet more efficient and ergonomic by placing modules on each new opened tab.

Instead of showing a blank page, Google Chrome offers you eight thumbnails, displaying the most visited websites, a history search bar and even the last ten closed tabs.

Google Chrome is extremely fast, from the moment you open it until it is closed.

Download Google Chrome 21.0.1180.57
stable for Linux right now from Softpedia.

Download Google Chrome 22.0.1221.0 development for Linux right now from Softpedia. (Not recommended to production machines. Only for testing!)

Also, don't forget to visit our always up-to-date Google Chrome Extensions, Google Chrome Themes and Google Chrome Web Apps categories, for the latest add-ons!

Via: Google Releases Chrome 21 Stable for Linux

Sea Shepherd and Aerosmith Go on Tour for Wildlife Conservation


Fans probably know all about Aerosmith's Global Warming Tour, which began in May and is expected to end this August.

However, here's one interesting piece of news: just recently, Sea Shepherd representatives also joined the band, the end goal being that of raising even more environmental awareness.

Thus, people who attended Aerosmith's latest shows in Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, East Rutherford, NJ, and Dallas were also able to chit-chat with conservationists working with said organization, who told them all there was to know about protecting marine wildlife.

Apparently, Sea Shepherd will also make an appearance in Denver, Oakland, Los Angeles and Takoma, where once again they will strive to get their ideas across and convince more people to get actively involved in environmental projects.

From where we stand, it is quite likely that this collaboration will prove to be a most fruitful one.

Via: Sea Shepherd and Aerosmith Go on Tour for Wildlife Conservation

No Gender for Avatars in Minecraft


Markus Persson, aka Notch, has stated that the Minecraft world that he created lacks any notion of gender in order to deflect criticism from the fan base about the lack of official female player avatars.

Notch stated, “I’m not saying this is a good way to deal with gender in all games, as the better your graphics are, and because of how quickly the human mind tries to identify the gender of other humans, you are going to have to make a decision as a developer about gender, but I felt we could get away with it in Minecraft.”

Persson also says that the avatar in Minecraft is a representative of all human beings rather than simply a male human individual.

Even the animals in Minecraft lack a genre, because it would require too many resources in order to differentiate them.

Minecraft has been a success both on the PC and on the Xbox 360 and Mojang continues to deliver constant updates.

Via: No Gender for Avatars in Minecraft

Paul Watson Accuses Germany of Conspiring with Japan Against Him


Captain Paul Watson, the leader of Sea Shepherd, recently sent a rather lengthy message to his supporters, wishing to explain the exact circumstances which forced him to leave Germany and move to an undisclosed location. As well as this, the conservationist comments on why Japan decided to go after him so fiercely.

Not long ago, we reported on how, after being under house arrest in Germany for as much as 70 days, captain Paul Watson decided to leave this country and move to an undisclosed location, due to the fact that the German government was facing ever increasing pressure to extradite him to Japan.

As he explains in his message, Japan based its extradition demand on false evidence provided by a man who used to work closely together with the Captain at some point in the past.

Moreover, Paul Watson says that German politicians were more than willing to abide by Japan's wishes.

He goes on to argue that said country only wanted its extradition so as to be able to take revenge for the fact that the Sea Shepherd organization significantly impacted on its whaling activities and, therefore, on its economic stability.

Captain Paul Watson's exact words were as follows: “We have cost the Japanese whaling industry tens of millions of dollars and in October 2011, they were allocated a war chest of some thirty million dollars in misappropriated Tsunami Relief Funds to combat Sea Shepherd.”

Therefore, Sea Shepherd's leader strongly believes that, should Japanese officials manage to have him extradited to their country, he will never be allowed to leave.

With respect to Germany's attitude towards this ongoing conflict between him and Japan's whaling industry, Captain Paul Watson explains how, “For me it is obvious that the German government conspired with Japan and Costa Rica to detain me so that I could be handed over to the Japanese.”

For the time being, Captain Paul Watson is hiding in a safe place, but he can hardly wait to once again go out at sea and help put an end to abuses committed by various fishing and whaling industries.

The message written by Sea Shepherd's leader can be read in its entirety on the organization's official website.

Via: Paul Watson Accuses Germany of Conspiring with Japan Against Him

Huawei Ascend G 302D Spotted at FCC with Support for AT&T Radios


Chinese company Huawei has just entered the high-end Android smartphone market, but the handset maker doesn’t want to neglect the mid-range category.

With Ascend G300 and Y200 already available on the market, Huawei is now focusing on bringing its powerful Ascend D quad smartphones on shelves.

However, until these quad-core phones go on sale, we have another mid-range Android smartphone leaked in the wild, the Huawei Ascend G 302D.

This is a pretty long and unimaginative codename, but the phone will certainly receive another name before going on sale.

Huawei Ascend G 302D has been recently spotted at FCC (Federal Communications Commission) by the folks over at Engadget.

Unfortunately, there are only a few details on the phone’s specs sheet, so we will have to keep an eye out for any additional info that might leak in the future.

We do know however, that the Ascend G 302D has been approved with support for AT&T radios, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Huawei Ascend G 302D (back)
Enlarge picture
Furthermore, the smartphone might come with a 4.0-inch capacitive touchscreen display, though we do not expect it to support more than 480 x 800 pixels resolution.

According to the manual of the phone, Huawei Ascend G 302D will have two different capacity batteries, a 1350 mAh and 1500 mAh.

Unfortunately, we’re not sure if both will be shipped with the phone or Huawei plans to launch different versions of the smartphone via multiple carriers in North America. There’s also a main camera on the back, but we have no info on the number of megapixels for the moment.

Huawei Ascend G 302D features three touch sensitive keys, which might be an indication that the smartphone will be delivered with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box. So far, that’s about everything we have on the Ascend G 302D, so stay tuned for more updates on the subject.

Via: Huawei Ascend G 302D Spotted at FCC with Support for AT&T Radios

How Much Does It Cost to Be Batman?


Without a doubt, Chris Nolan has gone out of his way to make “The Dark Knight Rises,” his third and last Batman film, bigger, better, and more impressive than the previous two. Were this in real life, being Batman would have cost Bruce Wayne a fortune large enough to buy a country.

MoneySupermarket has conducted investigations into the potential costs of all the things that make Bruce Wayne into the caped crusader Batman and, trust us, it's no trifling business that of fighting crime as a masked superhero.

Check out the infographic below for an idea of the expenses Wayne has incurred in TDKR, which features more gadgets and weapons than either of the previous two installments.

The e-zine has also taken into account the Batcave, Wayne Manor and Alfred's services, but also Bruce Wayne's education and training, besides the cost of his fight vehicles (the Batpod, The Bat, and the Tumbler) and his various weapons.

At the end of the day year, when Mr. Wayne draws the line, he will have spent $682,451,350 (€556.69 million). So, yes, he's that rich!



Via: How Much Does It Cost to Be Batman?

TELUS Launches My Account App for BlackBerry Smartphones


Canadian carrier TELUS has just announced the immediate availability of the “My Account” application for BlackBerry devices.

“My Account” app allows TELUS’ customers to monitor their data, text and voice usage, as well as check their account balance. The software also provides users with the option to make payments and top up their prepaid services.

For the time being, “My Account” application is fully compatible with the following devices: BlackBerry Curve 8530, BlackBerry Curve 9300, BlackBerry Curve 9360, BlackBerry Bold 9700, BlackBerry Bold 9780, BlackBerry Torch 9800, BlackBerry Torch 9810, BlackBerry Torch 9860 and BlackBerry Bold 9900.

Keep in mind that this application does not charge any data fees when in use, even while users are travelling abroad. “My Account” is now available as a free download via App World.

Via

Via: TELUS Launches My Account App for BlackBerry Smartphones

Colin Farrell Talks Fitness, Health, Life with Mens Health


There was a time when not a day went by without Colin Farrell making the headlines for yet another one of his scandalous adventures. Obviously, those days are gone, and the handsome actor credits his two sons for the change – and for saving his life.

As fans must already know, Colin will be seen next in “Total Recall,” a remake by Len Wiseman of the film of the same name with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Farrell had to get in excellent shape for the film, which more than makes sense considering he plays a very physical role.

Even for someone who was never out of shape per se, the new routine proved quite a challenge, he says for the latest issue of Men's Health UK.

To get fit to play a dormant secret agent, Colin had to stick to a strict workout routine, which involved jogging for 2 miles (3.21 km) and doing weights for 6 days each week.

He tells Men's Health he trained like this for three months before the film went into production.

However, he was in good shape before as well, he admits. At one point, his life spiraled so out of control he had no other choice but to turn it around.

“I don’t put the same level of energy into healthy living as I did into unhealthy living. I put an enormous amount of energy into the destruction of my body and if I put the same amount into treating my body in a positive way, that too would end up being a sickness,” Colin says.

“But I eat really well, drink loads of green tea, and take a [expletive]load of vitamins,” he adds.

In the end, he is the first to be able to tell the difference.

“I’m somebody who a couple of years ago couldn’t even run a mile,” Colin says.

In the same interview, the handsome actor opens up about his darker phase in life and how he basically owes his life to his 2 sons who, from what he says, even inherited his potty mouth.

Here is the rest of the interview.

Via: Colin Farrell Talks Fitness, Health, Life with Mens Health

Sapphire Launches Slim AMD Radeon HD 7750 Low-Profile Video Card


Traditional AMD video card manufacturing partner Sapphire has just announced a new video card powered by AMD’s Radeon HD 7750 GPU. The new card features a single slot cooling system and a low-profile PCB that is perfectly suited for cramped cases.

The new device completely adheres to AMD’s reference specifications of the Radeon HD 7750 GPU so the AMD’s “Cape Verde” graphics processing unit is clocked at 800 MHz when working in full load 3D mode.

In 2D mode, the frequency of the GPU will drop to a low 300 MHz.

The GPU has a very small 123-square millimeter die size, containing 1.5 billion transistors containing 512 unified shader processors, 32 texturing units and 16 ROPs.

The “full” “Cape Verde” comes with 640 shaders and 40 texturing units, but that’s the Radeon HD 7770 and Sapphire’s version has some of the units inactive.

The GPU is quite modest in its power requirements, and the Sapphire HD 7750 LP features a very simple cooling system yet quite prone to failure (because of the higher rotation speed) and likely noisy after some months of wear.

The Sapphire HD 7750 LP comes with 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory clocked at 4500 MHz default when in 3D mode, but it drops to 600 MHz when working in 2D.

The memory and the GPU work on a tight 128-bit BUS, so playing games with very high resolutions will be quite a challenge for the small card.

The pricing is reportedly slated at 90 to 100 EUR for European HTPC enthusiasts and $100 in the US.


Via: Sapphire Launches Slim AMD Radeon HD 7750 Low-Profile Video Card

Sony Xperia GX LT29i Sample Photos Emerge


Xperia GX, the Android-based mobile phone from Sony set to become available for purchase in Japan as soon as next week, has been long rumored to be en-route to the international market, and it should not be too long before that happens, it seems.

New photos with the device are now available online, coming from ePrice, along with a series of sample photos taken with the Xperia GX itself.

The handset, a high-end 4.6-inch phone with a dual-core application processor inside, arrives on shelves with a 13MP camera on the back, and the photos taken with it reflect that.

The device, spotted a few times before as the Sony LT29i ‘Hayabusa,’ can be admired in the video embedded above, as well as in a series of photos coming from ePrice (though they feature a prototype and not the final handset).

Via: Sony Xperia GX LT29i Sample Photos Emerge

HighPoint Launches RocketRAID 4520 512 MB DDR3


California headquartered traditional RAID controller maker HighPoint has just launched a new, dedicated SAS RAID controller card using Marvell’s Sheeva RAID-on-Chip onboard processor, on its official website.

The new card uses a Marvell 88RC9580 RAID-on-Chip processor that has a 513 MB of DDR3 decicated memory.

The new RAID card from HighPoint uses a PCI Express 2.0 x8 Host Interface and provides the user with 8 Internal 6Gb/s SAS & SATA ports and dual internal Mini-SAS connectors (SFF-8087).

The card will support up to 128 SAS HDDs using a SAS Expander, but it comes with a passive heatsink and a low-profile PCB.

HighPoint’s new RocketRAID 4520 adapter comes with support for RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50 and the usual JBOD with RAID configuration protection.

Marvell 88RC9580 RAID-on-Chip processor diagram
Enlarge picture
The usual BIOS boot, staggered drive spin up, spin down idle disk, S.M.A.R.T. and NCQ support are all present and also the HighPoint RocketRAID 4520 comes with 64bit LBA support for drives with more than 2TB of storage capacity.

Marvell
’s Sheeva RAID-on-chip processor is a powerful SoC that integrates an ARM core working at a high 900 Mhz frequency along with RAID 5/6 and CRC32 engines, internal SRAM and DDR3 memory interfaces optimized for advanced RAID topologies.

The chip only consumes 9 watts according to Marvell and comes in a 676-Ball FCBGA package.

The on-core cache is 512 KB and there is also an on-chip 1 MB Scratchpad.

It has support for various advanced RAID features including Dual XOR RAID 6, P+ Q + Copy, or Q + Q + Q RAID 6, and is ideal for mid-range to high-end servers.

The processor also provides support for RAID 60 although HighPoint doesn’t mention this in its press release.


Via: HighPoint Launches RocketRAID 4520 512 MB DDR3

Asus Padfone Arriving in Australia on August 14


Asus Australia announced last month that the Padfone device would go on sale in the country sometime in July. However, it appears that the company had some trouble in keeping its word and has recently confirmed that Asus Padfone won’t hit shelves until next month.

According to PC World, Asus Padfone is expected to land in Australia on August 14 for $999 AUD (1050 USD or 855 EUR) outright.

Customers will be able to purchase it via Harvey Norman and for the amount mentioned earlier they will receive both the smartphone and the 10.1-inch Padfone station.

For anything else that one would want to add to the Padfone, like a keyboard or a Stylus speaker, they will have to pay separately.

Asus Padfone
Enlarge picture
The main advantage for grabbing both the smartphone and the 10.1-inch Padfone station is the fact that the latter can greatly improve the phone’s battery life.

In fact, the smartphone comes with a standard 1520 mAh Li-Ion battery, which is rated by the manufacturer for up to 360 hours of standby time (370 in 3G mode) or up to 16 hours of talk time (8 hours in 3G mode).

While the phone is inserted inside the Padfone station, it will drain energy from the 6600 mAh Li-Ion battery, thus greatly improving usability while on the move.

Asus Padfone stylus
Enlarge picture
Although the Padfone is powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, Asus has already confirmed that the smartphone will receive a Jelly Bean upgrade in the near future.

Hardware-wise, Asus Padfone is equipped with a dual-core Qualcomm MSM8260A Snapdragon processor clocked at 1.5 GHz, an Adreno 225 GPU and 1GB of RAM.

The smartphone comes in three versions, each with a different amount of storage: 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. We’re not sure yet whether or not Aussie customers will be able to choose from all three variants.

Via: Asus Padfone Arriving in Australia on August 14

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 P7500 Gets Android 4.0 ICS Update


Google’s popular smartphone and tablet operating system has been long awaited by the owners of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 P7500. Now the Korean giant seems to be ready to start the updating process.

There are reports that say Italy is getting the ICS rollout today while other markets will soon follow.

While these may happen in the next 24 hours, there are clear reports that confirm the P7510 model is getting the newer version of the popular operating system today.

There are multiple different models of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Android tablet and not all of them are part of today’s update process, but Samsung has made it clear that all its Galaxy Tab 10.1 products will receive the software eventually.


Via: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 P7500 Gets Android 4.0 ICS Update

Samsung Galaxy S IV Concept Phone Packs 12MP Camera


Samsung’s Galaxy S line of devices is already the most popular smartphone series in the world, and the latest addition to the lineup is doing a great job at attracting even more users to it.

However, although Galaxy S III is here and is said to be the best smartphone of the year, enthusiasts already dream of what the next handset in the series would have to offer to them.

Supposedly dubbed Galaxy S IV, the smartphone would be better, would deliver increased performance levels, and would also prove far more appealing than the current-generation Galaxy S.

Whether Samsung will indeed launch such a device or not is yet unknown, but we cannot imagine why it wouldn’t. After all, the success Galaxy S devices enjoyed helped the company become the leading smartphone vendor in the world.

Bob Freking has his own idea of what Galaxy S IV could offer in terms of hardware, software and outer design, and came up with a concept device to show that to the world.

Rocking a large 5-inch touchscreen display capable of delivering a 1920 x 1080 resolution, the handset would easily prove to be the phone every user wants.

It would be powered by an Exynos 5 ARM15 dual-core application processor, faster than the dual-core inside Galaxy S III, and would be only 9.3mm thin.

Galaxy S IV concept phone
Enlarge picture
On the back, Galaxy S IV could easily sport a 12-megapixel photo snapper, with full HD video recording, complemented by a 3.2MP camera on the front for making video calls.

With a polycarbonate unibody design, the handset would feature a 2,500mAh battery inside, while running under Google’s Android 4.1 Jelly Bean platform, with the TouchWiz UX loaded on top of it.

The same as Galaxy S III, the upcoming handset would sport a great deal of appealing software features, along with all the connectivity capabilities that users are looking for.

For the time being, Galaxy S IV is only a concept device, but it could easily become a real handset, with great benefits for both users and the mobile phone maker.

Via: Samsung Galaxy S IV Concept Phone Packs 12MP Camera

Nvidia Says Warranties Remain the Same


There was a rumor that enthusiastic overclockers that push their new Kepler card too far might have a chance to see their warranty refused by the AIB. The report was based on various sources that said Nvidia was in talks with AIBs about revoking warranties where burnt GPUs were clocked beyond 1.1 Ghz.

Whether Nvidia was in talks with its AIBs or not, the official response from the company reportedly came through Mr. Igor Stanek, senior product PR manager EMEAI at Nvidia.

Mr. Stanek said that, “Nvidia’s warranty is between Nvidia and our add-in card partners.  It does not govern individual product warranties, which are between the card manufacturer and end users.  This is standard industry procedure.  Nvidia has not made any recent changes to our warranty with add-in card partners regarding overclocking."

There are two things we can take from this. One is the fact that the company claims that nothing has changed from the way they were doing business before when it comes to warranties for the end-user.

The other thing is that it’s AIB’s responsibility to decide if a product was properly used or not and, therefore, decide whether the user receives a replacement or not.

Via: Nvidia Says Warranties Remain the Same

Telstra to Offer BlackBerry Curve 9320 on Prepaid


Unveiled back in May, BlackBerry Curve 9320 is one of the cheapest smartphones launched by Research In Motion (RIM). The smartphone has already been launched in Australia, but it’s not yet available on prepaid.

According to CrackBerry, major carrier Telstra plans to offer the BlackBerry Curve 9320 on prepaid plans. Unfortunately, there are no additional details on the phone’s pricing options and availability.

The Curve 9320 is one of the first smartphones, along with Curve 9220, to come with BlackBerry 7.1 OS out of the box. However, the device is not that impressive when it comes to hardware.

It comes with 512MB of ROM, 512MB of RAM, microSD card slot for memory expansion (up to 32GB), 2.44-inch display and 3-megapixel rear camera. The phone drains energy from a 1450 mAh Li-Ion battery.

Via: Telstra to Offer BlackBerry Curve 9320 on Prepaid

Kojima Compares Metal Gear Solid with the Olympic Games


With the real-world Olympics taking place in London well underway, video game developers seem inspired to sprinkle some Olympic spirit on their own development efforts, with Hideo Kojima, the father of the well-known Metal Gear Solid franchise, comparing the sporting event with the development of his own franchise.

Via Twitter, the legendary developer stated, “When asked what the MGS series is to you, I once responded, ‘It’s like the Olympics.’ A big event held every three or four years.”

He added, “You devote your life to the major goal of a fight on the world stage”, before concluding, “You think of nothing beyond that. The latter half becomes difficult, and you think that you’ll retire after this. But after release, you think about the next tournament.”

Hideo Kojima did not reveal whether the next tournament would be a full-blown Metal Gear Solid 5 or whether the company’s mysterious Project Ogre also has something to offer for fans.

Publisher Konami has already revealed that it would hold an anniversary for the Metal Gear Solid on its 25th birthday on August 30 and, presumably, the occasion will be used to offer more information on the future of the series.

Recently, the Kojima Productions team has been working on a new engine, called Fox, which is set to power Project Ogre and the next generation of Metal Gear titles.

Metal Gear Solid 5 is rumored to offer a stealth-based gameplay structure and will once again star Solid Snake.

Until then, fans of the game universe will be able to play Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, the Platinum Games title which uses action-based gameplay to bring the adventures of Raiden to life.

The game is currently slated for a February 2013 launch on the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 after a number of delays.

Via: Kojima Compares Metal Gear Solid with the Olympic Games

Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD Might Lead to Genre Revival


The high-definition re-imagining of the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series of games has managed to see solid sales on the Xbox Live service from Microsoft since it was launched on July 18, moving more than 120,000 units. The developer behind the game sees this as a vindication of the choices his team has made.

John Tsui, who is the chief executive officer of Robomondo, told Gamasutra that, “By making it ‘lower risk’ we were allowed to take some chances which benefits both developer and publisher. The prospect of a fuller game is definitely on the table — it’s just a matter of when and how.”

Despite good sales, some critics were very vocal about their problems with Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD, but to Tsui the attacks are not about the objective quality of the game, but about the subjective nature of memories that many fans have with the original releases in the series.

The developer added, “We kept the mechanics the same even though they were 13-years-old because that was our number one priority. Had we changed it up and modernized it, we would have gotten the same criticism from the other side.”

With Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD, Activision allowed Robomondo to compile content from the first two titles in the franchise in a new, downloadable package, and the success of the game will probably mean that the other games in the series will get the same treatment.

The Tony Hawk series was one of the biggest in gaming at one point, but the lack of innovation and the reliance on complex peripherals has seen its sales drop precipitously.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD will be launched on the PlayStation Network service from Sony and on the PC, probably only via Steam, during the third quarter of this year.

Via: Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD Might Lead to Genre Revival

Former Valve Developer Says Company Got Too Big


Despite being much praised by its employees and by gamers alike, it seems that Valve, the company behind such franchises as Half-Life and Portal, has grown too big for at least one former employee who is now working at Arkane Studios.

Viktor Antonov, who is best known for the level design he has done on City 17 for Half-Life 2, has told Eurogamer that, “Valve has grown into a much bigger company, and what I really enjoy about the philosophy of Arkane is that it’s a small, core team that does risky creative projects.”

He added, “And when I went to Valve, they were a small company. They’ve grown now, they’re much bigger, and I’m interested in a certain level of creative risk taking and a certain energy that can be compared to jazz, jamming or rock n’ roll, where it’s small, it’s intense and it’s about making revolutions in the media.”

Antonov last worked on the pitch for Team Fortress 2 and has since grown dissatisfied with the way Valve has approached the development of the Half-Life franchise, focusing on episodes rather than delivering another AAA project.

His current project is Dishonored, the first-person action and stealth game that allows the player to use a wide variety of weapons, items and supernatural powers in order to navigate a steampunk city and solve a number of mysteries.

Antonov is the chief visual design director working on Dishonored, which is set to arrive during October on the PC, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.

The game uses a very distinct style, which mixes elements from European history with standard fantasy and steampunk elements.

The co-directors working on Dishonored are Harvey Smith and Ralph Colantonio, who are well known for their work on action games.

Valve has not announced any clear plans for the future of the Half-Life series.

Via: Former Valve Developer Says Company Got Too Big

The Next Google Nexus Might Look Like This Concept


Google’s series of Nexus smartphones has already proved highly popular around the world, and it might continue to do so if great devices are added to it.

In fact, previous rumors have already suggested that some great new devices are en-route to the market with the Nexus mark on them, some even this year.

Next year could also bring along a series of such smartphones, even if nothing was made official on the matter for the time being.

Of course, we have no idea what these new devices could pack in terms of hardware specifications or software, though that does not prevent enthusiasts from dreaming of them.

One of them, Bob Freking, even came up with a sort of teaser for the device, proposing a possible outer-design that would be somehow similar with the one present on today’s Galaxy Nexus.

However, the designer does not offer info on what the phone could pack inside and he asks users to imagine what it could include.

Being a 2013 Google Nexus smartphone, the new phone could easily pack inside a quad-core application processor; the same as the latest high-end smartphones do today, and might be powered by the upcoming flavor of Android, supposedly called Key Lime Pie.

The form factor of this phone could easily move away from the candybar design on current Nexus devices, and Google and its manufacturing partner might also consider a slimmer body for this product, that’s for sure.

In all fairness, these are only our ideas on the device, and they might be different from yours. If you find the concept device interesting, drop a comment below to let us know that you would like to see inside of it.

Both hardware and software suggestions are welcome and you should not necessarily keep things close to reality. After all, it is a device you are dreaming of to land one day in your hand.

Via: The Next Google Nexus Might Look Like This Concept

The Worlds First Weight Loss Perfume Is Here


If losing weight and keeping it off were that easy, countless women would be as fit as the ballerinas or catwalk models. However, one new weight loss product aims to make the journey to a fitter, healthier body a true piece of cake: the world's first weight loss perfume.

It's called Prends-Moi and comes from Velds, having been developed at the perfume house Robertet, the Daily Mail reports.

The fragrance contains a special mixture that will contribute to weight loss by creating a distinct feeling of wellbeing which, in turn, should prevent the wearer from overeating.

In other words, you can smell good and feel good, thus no longer feeling the need to turn to food for comfort.

“Makers claim the fragrance is designed to 'slim with pleasure' and is based on 'aromatherapeutic' and 'neurocosmetic' research,” the Mail writes of the product, of which makers say they can back up all claims with scientific studies.

“The perfume contains ingredients which release B-endorphins present in the skin and a 'pleasure message' is transmitted through the brain triggering a sensation of wellbeing and an increase in contentment reducing the need to overeat,” the British publication further writes.

“A 'Slimming Complex' formulated with caffeine, carnitine and spirulina extract activates the two key enzymes directly involved in lipolysis (fat degradation),” adds the report.

A trial study conducted on women of all ages wearing the slimming fragrance revealed that a vast majority of them noted a feeling of pleasure when wearing it.

About 75% thought the perfume limited their desire for a snack in between meals, while 73% reported “a feeling of pleasure” when wearing it. None of the women were on a diet.

“As for the smell, there are top notes, with lively accents of bergamot, mandarin and grapefruit. With a low alcohol content, Prends-moi is perfect for those who love summer all year long,” the Mail goes on to say.

To make Prends-Moi even more irresistible to ladies, it's not even that expensive, at least considering what it claims to be able to do: a bottle retails for £29.99 ($47 / €38.2).

On the downside, there's already a 6,000 queue for it so, if you're thinking it could be just the thing to help you get in shape before you're off on vacation, you should brace yourself for a rather long wait.

Via: The Worlds First Weight Loss Perfume Is Here

Windows Phone Developer Portal Will Be Down on Monday


Windows Phone application developers will have some difficulties submitting new software for approval in the official Marketplace in the next few days, Microsoft announced.

The App Hub will be down on Monday, April 6, a move planned all the way back in April. This means that developers should hurry and submit apps in the next few days, to make sure they land there.

However, approvals might be delayed a bit, Microsoft’s Todd Brix notes in a blog post. He also notes that no specific info on how long the portal will be down is yet available.

“If you have an app you were hoping to update or publish to Marketplace this week, you should submit it today or tomorrow. While maintenance work is underway you may experience delays in app certification and publishing,” he explains.

“This effort also requires App Hub to be taken offline starting next Monday morning Pacific Time. I don’t have an exact downtime, but we expect it to be less than 24 hours.”

Microsoft will work hard on making sure that the developer portal is back online as soon as possible. However, app builders might meet some issues with it for a short period.

“Rest assured our teams will be working as quickly as possible to minimize the impact on you. Once the developer portal is back online, you might still encounter an occasional hiccup as we complete the back-end work over the next several weeks,” Todd Brix continues.

Following these enhancements brought to the App Hub, the entire submission and certification process of new Windows Phone applications is expected to become more robust.

Moreover, Microsoft will improve the developer experience by solving some of the issues that have been spotted with the portal lately.

“The good news is that this brief inconvenience will result in a more robust submission and certification pipeline for your Windows Phone 7.5 apps, and address many of the concerns you’ve shared over the months,” he concludes.

Via: Windows Phone Developer Portal Will Be Down on Monday

Activision Reveals Talents for 007 Legends


Video game publisher Activision and EON Productions announced the talented cast that would lend their voices and their likenesses to the upcoming 007 Legends title, which will be out on October 16 of this year on the PC, the Xbox 360 from Microsoft and the PlayStation 3 from Sony.

The cast includes: Daniel Craig, the Bond in Skyfall, Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale and the lead in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; Rory Kinnear as the Chief of Staff of MI6 Bill Tanner, also appearing in Skyfall, Wild Target and Quantum of Solace; Michael Lonsdale, known from Of Gods and Men, Munich, Moonraker as Hugo Drax; Richard Kiel from Happy Gilmore, Moonraker, The Spy Who Loved Me becomes the henchman Jaws; Naomie Harris, known Skyfall, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and 28 Days Later.

The overall story for 007 Legends will be written by another script creator, Bruce Feirstein, who has long been associated with the franchise and who has worked on The World Is Not Enough, Tomorrow Never Dies and GoldenEye.

David Arnold, with credits for Die Another Day, Tomorrow Never Dies and Independence Day, alongside Kevin Kiner, who worked on Hell on Wheels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and CSI: Miami, are creating the video game soundtrack.

007 Legends is developed by the Eurocom studio and will have an overall story which is set to tie together five missions inspired by the classic movies of the James Bond movie franchise and another one that is linked to the Skyfall movie which will be released in 2012.

The players will have access to a wide array of weapons and a number of spy gadgets as they try to stop the well-known villains and their iconic henchmen of the Bond universe from taking over the world.

The movie Skyfall arrives on October 26.

Via: Activision Reveals Talents for 007 Legends

Water Resources Specialist Offers Advice on Managing Droughts and Floods [Video]


Not very long ago, we talked about how global warming is bound to make drought periods last longer. As well as this, we reported on how heavy rainfalls and floods might also soon be a thing of the day.

It is not difficult to imagine that such extreme weather manifestations will take their toll on our society's water supplies.

However, water resources specialist Jane Frankenberger now brings us somewhat good news. Apparently, by implementing the appropriate water management strategies, the new weather patterns brought about by climate change can be more easily dealt with in an efficient manner.

Taking into consideration US's geography and demographics, Jane Frankenberger explains how, depending on which water sources various communities rely most heavily on, local citizens will experience the effects of present and future droughts in different ways.

Thus, Indianapolis and several other regions which mainly exploit surface rivers and reservoirs will be the most affected by the climate change, seeing how their water sources are the least dependable when it comes to getting locals through extended periods of drought.

On the other hand, urban and rural areas, which have their water demands met by means of water sources, are bound to feel the pressures of climate change later on.

As reported by Purdue University, the specialist argued that, “It takes years for rain to get into groundwater; therefore, it takes years before the shortage of rain would actually affect the groundwater. So those communities probably don't feel the effects quite as dramatically.”

Nevertheless, efforts must be made to conserve this natural resource on a national scale, by resorting to strategies such as cutting down on how much water each household or business used on a daily basis, and investing in infrastructure which helps collect rainwater whenever it happens to fall.

Apparently, Jane Frankenberger also believes that, “The drought is a wake-up call to remember to not take our water resources for granted but to think about conservation, to think about how our community is planning for using them wisely in the future.”

Those wishing to learn more about how communities can work together to fight back the effects of global warming can watch the video below.



Via: Water Resources Specialist Offers Advice on Managing Droughts and Floods [Video]

IE Is Fighting Back, Overtaking Chrome Again


Despite Chrome's seemingly unstoppable march, it appears that Internet Explorer is making a comeback and may regain the number one browser title. At least that's what the latest data from StatCounter shows. The analytics company found that Chrome overtook IE in early May to become the most popular web browser in the world.

But IE is not going down without a fight. Sometime in early June, IE saw a huge uptick in activity and managed to snatch back the title, if only for one week and by a very small margin. It wasn't to last though, Chrome continued its upward trend and started to distance itself from IE.

However, Microsoft's browser is seeing yet another big spike in activity, even bigger than the first, big enough to put it within 0.5 percentage points of Chrome, in the weekly figures.

If the current trend continues, it's going to overtake Chrome, again, this week for the entire week. On a day-to-day basis, IE is already bigger than Chrome during weekdays.

What is interesting though is that this time around, IE is grabbing market share from Chrome, quite a bit of it, rather than just from Firefox. In fact, it's one of the very few times in history when Chrome lost market share. Firefox took a hit as well, dipping below the 24 percent mark where it had been hovering for about a month now.

It's too fast to read anything into this. Seasonal browser usage patterns can be a cause for the ups and downs. Many people are taking a vacation this time of year, which means IE usage goes down.

At the same time, nice weather could be keeping people outside for longer meaning they spend less time online, at their desktops at least. This would explain a drop in both Firefox and Chrome usage. But these people would still be going to work and using IE.

All of this is speculation, but the point is that small changes and deviations from a trend aren't that important. The big picture is important and, in it, Chrome and IE are very close to each other with Firefox a somewhat distant third.

Via: IE Is Fighting Back, Overtaking Chrome Again

E3 Remains in Los Angeles Until 2015


The Entertainment Software Association in the United States has announced that it has entered into a new agreement with the city of Los Angeles to host the E3 trade event at the L.A. Convention Center for the next three years, until 2015.

The partnership has been active for sixteen years and in 2013 the biggest video game-centered event in the world will take place between June 11 and 13.

The city of Los Angeles has estimated that the economic impact from event visitors amounts to as much as 40 million dollars (32.5 million Euro).

The ESA has also confirmed that after the 2013 event, the West Hall of the Convention Center will be torn down and replaced by a new one by the time of the 2014 E3.

Antonio Villaraigosa, the mayor of Los Angeles, stated, “My office was committed to doing whatever it took to keep the largest annual conference that the City hosts here for another three years.”

Via: E3 Remains in Los Angeles Until 2015

Leadtek WinFast GTX 680 Has Double Memory, 4 GB


Not about to let Micro-Star International get all the attention for its 4 GB NVIDIA video card, Leadtek has released a device that follows a similar concept, but only so far.

Truth be told, the only things that Leadtek's product and NVIDIA's own 4 GB GTX 680 have in common is the amount of memory and, in the case of the latter's Non-OC version, the clock speeds as well.

Other than that, Leadtek's WinFast GTX 680 4 GB is designed quite a bit differently, as it actually sticks to the reference design of NVIDIA's normal, 2 GB board.

Where MSI applied a custom cooler and special components (solid capacitors for example), Leadtek retained the reference fansink and the printed circuit board.

The 4 GB of GDDR5 VRAM, clocked at 6,008 MHz, are distributed among sixteen chips. The interface is 256-bit wide.

Meanwhile, the GK104 graphics processing unit, for those who have forgotten NVIDIA's default settings, operates at 1,006 MHz.

Naturally, the GPU Boost Technology is present and accounted for as well, which means that the speed can be pushed to 1,058 MHz automatically, when needed.

Furthermore, for connectivity to any sort of monitor or HDTV, or more of them at once, the company retained the two DVI ports, HDMI and DisplayPort.

As for power, Leadtek's WinFast GTX 680 4 GB runs on the energy provided by two 6-pin PCI Express power connectors.

Shipments will begin in August, according to Hermitage Akihabara, for 59,800 JPY, or $765 / 622.85 Euro. That's a fairly high number, all things considered. Then again, exchange rates don't usually have any bearing on product prices, so it's more likely that the US price will be $569 (like that of the Zotac GTX 680 4GB) and the EU tag of 580-600 Euro (like the Palit Jetstream).

Via: Leadtek WinFast GTX 680 Has Double Memory, 4 GB

Zombies Counter-Protest Westboro Baptist Church Protest Video


As the Westboro Baptist Church is intensifying its efforts to show the world that American soldiers' deaths abroad are God's way of saying America is too tolerant of the gay lifestyle, more counter-protesters are willing to stand up against the “hate church.”

WBC announced plans to picket a DuPont, Washington military base on Friday, prompting a Facebook campaign aimed to get counter-protesters to show up to dissuade them from further actions of the kind.

The campaign, “Zombie'ing Westboro Baptist Church AWAY from Fort Lewis!” turned out to be a hit, as the video above will confirm.

Only 8 members of the WBC showed up. There were also 300 zombies on site, eager to spread the word that the real God doesn't hate even if someone happens to be gay, which can't be said about WBC believers.

“We wanted to turn something negative around, into something people could laugh at and poke fun at. It was the easiest way to divert attention from something so hateful,” Melissa Neace, the counter-protester who organized the “zombie'ing” tells the press.

Via: Zombies Counter-Protest Westboro Baptist Church Protest Video

Casio GzOne Commando Receiving C771M120 Software Update


Verizon’s Casio G’zOne weird smartphone has just received a new software update that promises to fix some of the bugs that have been plaguing this handset for quite a while.

Casio G’zOne was launched in the US more than a year ago with Android 2.2 Froyo operating system out of the box.

It’s pretty clear that the smartphone won’t be getting any major software upgrades to Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean, but at least it got Gingerbread.

However, Casio has been kind to those who purchased its device and has already delivered several maintenance updates, which are meant to improve their overall experience with the phone.

Today, Verizon released a new software update for Casio G’zOne Commando, which is dubbed C771M120. This is rather a minor update, which includes several bug fixes. It is also worth mentioning that the update makes a few drastic changes to the phone’s software.

More specifically, the Mobile IM application that’s been pre-loaded on the phone has been now removed from the device.

Casio G'Zone Commando (back)
Enlarge picture
According to the official changelog, Casio G’zOne Commando’s speakerphone now successfully turns off after a Push to Talk call is completed. This is a welcomed change as users have been complaining of this issue for quite a long time.

Another Push to Talk-related change has been included as well and it is meant to improve device stability by decreasing power cycles during a Push to Talk call.

Furthermore, Casio G’zOne Commando comes with a Desk Cradle application, which hasn’t been updated in months. Fortunately, the latest C771M120 update brings a new version of the application that includes the latest bug fixes.

Last but not least, the Android partner security bulletin has been applied to the device. Keep in mind that the update is pushed OTA (over the air) and it is only 14.9MB in size. For more details on how to download and install the latest software update for Casio G’zOne Commando, head over to Verizon’s support site.

Via: Casio GzOne Commando Receiving C771M120 Software Update

Liam Neeson Is Still Deadly in New Taken 2 Trailer


A new international trailer for Liam Neeson's fast-paced action movie “Taken 2” has been released. Check it out in full above.

After “Taken” proved a surprise hit with both critics and audiences, virtually establishing Liam Neeson as the new Chuck Norris of action movies, a sequel was greenlit instantly.

We've already seen several photos, trailers and videos for it. However, not releasing a new one now that Neeson is making a surprise cameo in one of this summer's most hyped blockbusters (we're not saying which) would have meant a missed opportunity.

So here it is. It doesn't bring much new footage but it does include plenty of snapped necks, car chases and violence to make it worth your time.

The film also stars Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace, and will be out in October.

Via: Liam Neeson Is Still Deadly in New Taken 2 Trailer

Olympics-Related Malware Removal Tool


Malware never sleeps and malware developers will take advantage of any occasion to push malicious code onto users’ computers. And the Olympic Games this year are the perfect opportunity.

Bitdefender alerts that spam campaigns guised as flight ticket reservations in order to trick the user into installing a generic downloader that brings in malware.

Another way to get infected is to open messages touting the Olympic Agenda, which comes with a PDF attachment fit with an exploit (CVE-2010-2883) that crashes Adobe Reader version 9.3 and older, deploying a backdoor service on the computer. This sort of attack (CVE-2010-3333) is also available for Microsoft Office users, in this case the attachment being a DOC file.

The freshly launched Olympics-related malware removal tool from Bitdefender is designed only for rooting out this sort of malware from your computer. It is free and does not require installation.

Via: Olympics-Related Malware Removal Tool

There's Now Even More Google+ in Your Blogger


Blogger users have been noticing this for a while now, Google+ is slowly being built into the blogging platform, one small step at a time. But Google went all out in the latest update and added a Google+ page to the dashboard. From there, users will be able to control all manner of Google+ settings.

"Blogger lets you share your thoughts, grow your readership, and engage with your audience. But we want to make Blogger even better by letting you tap into the growing Google+ community," Google wrote.

"Today, we’re adding a new 'Google+' tab in the Blogger dashboard, so you now have a central place to start growing your blog with Google+," it explained.

So far, users had been able to link up their Google+ profile to their Blogger one. That meant that the Google+ page replaced the Blogger profile entirely. But this was limited to regular users.

Now however, businesses can do the same by replacing their Blogger profiles with a Google+ page. Other than that, the feature works exactly the same as before.

Beyond this, Blogger is also making it easier to expand your posts beyond the site and onto Google+. Sharing on the Google social network is easy since you'll get a share button for every post you make.

Readers will also be able to use the standard Google+ share button to link to posts they like. Finally, linking up a Google+ profile will allow you to use hashtags and +mentions inside the posts.

"To get started, click the 'Google+' tab in the Blogger dashboard and then the 'Upgrade' button. If you’ve already upgraded to Google+, we’ll help you associate your blog with your profile or page," Google explained.

"We'll be introducing more settings on this tab in the future, so stay tuned for additional ways to get more out of Blogger with Google+," it promised.

Via: There's Now Even More Google+ in Your Blogger

SONY Xperia Tablet Unveiled


Electronics giant, Japanese company Sony has eventually decided not to miss on the huge opportunity that the tablet market offers. As the initial Tablet S became obsolete and did not achieve great sales, the company is now preparing for Tablet S’ successor.

The new Android-based tablet from Sony will be called Xperia and will feature the same 9.4” screen with a 1280 by 800 pixel resolution.

Despite the fact that the new model keeps the same folded-paper profile that Tablet S did, Sony claims that Xperia is 42% thinner.

Sony Xperia Tablet SGPT1211
Enlarge picture
The complete name of the new device is reportedly Sony Xperia Tablet SGPT1211 and it comes with three storage capacities: 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB.

The battery is said to be rated at 6000 mAh and the company claims that this is enough for about 10 hours of internet browsing using the WirelessN integrated adapter.

Sony is not wasting any opportunity to profit from the PlayStation brand image, so the Xperia tablet will also feature the popular logo representing the fact that it comes with a certain level of compatibility with the popular console and some of its accessories.

Sony Xperia Tablet SGPT1211
Enlarge picture
Connectivity is well-endowed, as Xperia comes complete with Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 optional 3G, an SD card slot and the usual HD audio jack.

GPS capability is also included, but there’s a chance that the type of GPS will differ from 3G models that will come with A-GPS and Wi-Fi models that will have S-GPS.

Some specific accessories will also be available at launch such as a Dock Speaker, a Docking Stand, a Cradle, a Simple Stand and a thin keyboard.

Pricing is set to start at $450 or รข‚¬367 and go up if more storage capacity is desired.

Sony Xperia Tablet SGPT1211
Enlarge picture
Sony Xperia Tablet SGPT1211
Enlarge picture
Sony Xperia Tablet SGPT1211
Enlarge picture


Via: SONY Xperia Tablet Unveiled

Crucial Launches 2.5-Inch v4 SSDs, for Pre-2011 Systems


Two weeks after releasing the v4 mSATA solid-state drive series, Crucial, one of Micron's global SSD brands, has formally introduced the 2.5-inch v4 line.

We'll say it upfront that the 32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB SSDs aren't high-end products. They don't even possess the SATA III 6.0 Gbps interface actually.

Instead, they are equipped with SATA II 3.0 Gbps ports and are advertised as drives meant to improve the performance of systems built before 2011.

We actually think this is a smart move. Regardless of what the rest of the media says, many people still use desktops and laptops that are several years old.

That said, Crucial v4 SSDs should be able to read data at up to 230 MB/s and write it at 190 MB/s.

“The Crucial v4 SSD boils down to two things: performance and value,” said Robert Wheadon, senior worldwide product manager, Crucial.

“Most consumers realize that SSDs help their computers start quicker and run faster, and are a more durable alternative to hard drives, but many don’t realise that most SSDs outperform the data transfer capabilities of their SATA 2 machines. With the Crucial v4 SSD, we’ve come up with a product that’s designed to bring the most value out of a SATA 2 system without paying for extra performance that can’t be used.”

As we said before, Crucial's v4 2.5-inch solid-state drives have capacities of 32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB.

The first one bears a price of £31.99, which corresponds to $50 / 40 Euro, assuming exchange rates are to be taken into account. Chances are that the actual prices in the US and EU will be lower, as UK tags normally exceed them.

Meanwhile, the 64 GB drive ships for £44.99 ($70 / 57 Euro), the 128 GB SSD for £63.99 ($100 / 81 Euro) and the 256 GB device for £122.99 ($193 / 157 Euro).

Via: Crucial Launches 2.5-Inch v4 SSDs, for Pre-2011 Systems