The Walking Dead Xbox 360 Game Review

Telltale Games unveils the video game version of the highly-successful zombie-based comic series “The Walking Dead.” Unlike many video games that deal with monsters and zombies, “The Walking Dead” puts more weight on character drama over bloody violence, giving it a fresh take on this very gory genre.

The game is a combination of point-and-click adventure and button-prompt action. Conversations rule most of the story, where you (playing the role of convicted felon Lee Everett) get to pick one of four dialogue options that may affect the story and your relationship with other characters. In other times, you are searching for items and fighting off zombies.

Although the fight scenes appear sparingly, the possibilities that you can do in it are almost limitless from axing ghouls in the head to stabbing them through the eye.

The story runs parallel to the series from the beginning of the outbreak. You play as Everett who, after a car crash on his way to jail, meets an orphaned young girl named Clementine whom he had to protect from the horde. Everett and Clementine seek for shelter and team up with other characters along the way.

This game is first of a five-episode series. “The Walking Dead” is now available on Xbox Live for 400 Microsoft Points (US$5).

Withings iPhone Baby Monitor

Image Source: ThinkGeek

Parents would usually want to keep their eyes on their baby at all times if possible. That would ensure them that their baby is always safe if they can always have a quick look now and then. But unfortunately, it might not always be possible especially if there are other things to do at home in other rooms. In such cases, baby gadgets like the new Withings iPhone Baby Monitor would usually be a wonderful device to have around.

The Withings iPhone Baby Monitor allows parents to become more productive at home by making them able to do important work while also trying to keep tabs of the baby’s condition at all times. The unit comes with a video camera that can provide 3MP high definition video. The camera can also be panned, tilted, zoomed and be used even in the dark with its night vision features.

A built-in mic and speaker allows parents to listen as well as speak to a baby who may want to hear a familiar and soothing voice. The unit can also determine motion, sound, temperature, and humidity changes and provide the necessary alerts when required to. What makes it even better is that all these are possible with parents monitoring via their iPhone or iPad through the Internet. It is wireless convenience at its best when it comes to monitoring the baby. The Withings iPhone Baby Monitor is available at ThinkGeek for US$300.

Sony Introduces Melee Fighting Game

Sony has confirmed that they are working on a first-party fighting game for PlayStation 3 similar to Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros.

The title, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, sounds a bit plain. However, its gameplay is more complex than you think. The game features Sony-developed characters, as well as players from third-party PS3 games, who duke it out in crazy worlds that are mashed-up from different well-loved games. Characters that are confirmed to appear in the battle game include Sweet Tooth (Twisted Metal), Kratos (God of War), Sly Cooper, and Fat Princess. Each player uses a unique fighting style based on the video games they appear on.

The game is said to come in single and multiplayer modes, as well as online play and tournament mode. Players can either battle each other or play cooperatively. It is due to arrive on PS3 this holiday season.

Source: Kotaku

Kinect Joy Ride Sequel Ditches the Kinect

The Kinect-based video game Kinect Joy Ride will have a sequel, according to Microsoft. However, call this unusual: the first thing that is confirmed with this upcoming game is that it will no require the Kinect to play, just the Xbox 360 contollers. Hence, the title is edited to Joy Ride Turbo.

Looks like Microsoft has come to its senses. Playing a race game with no buttons to press or a controller to steer (just your whole body) is not only uninteresting, but also lacks precision.

The Kinect was introduced as a revolution in gaming, of what motion gaming is supposed to be played as players make use of their whole body and not a wand-like controller. But that lofty idea has gone to a completely different route, as hardware hackers begin to utilize the Kinect to more novel, non-gaming uses.

Joy Ride Turbo will be launched exclusively through Xbox Live Arcade, meaning it will not be sold at storefront game retailers.

Source: Gamasutra, via Slashgear

LinkedIn App for iPad Now Available

Professional-oriented social network LinkedIn has introduced an iPad app version, aiming to encourage more users to engage with their free service.

“Our mobile platform is the fastest growing consumer service on LinkedIn,” wrote Manish Sharma, LinkedIn’s product manager. “We aspire to be the place where every professional comes throughout the day.”

Although LinkedIn brags about its 150 million members, making it one of the top social networks in the world, only a third of them check the website on a daily basis. Compare that to Facebook whose half of its total members use the site everyday.

The app–now available for download–works a bit different from its web-based counterpart, as the mobile version is designed to be a personal assistant of sorts. It has added features such as calendar integration and focus on LinkedIn’s personalized news feed, which displays articles that are popular among people within the user’s network.

Source: Times of India

Aurora Feint 3 iPad Game App Review

You have played Bejeweled on your desktop and mobile device thinking any game that try to copy its gameplay are bound to fail. Not so much in this case.

Aurora Feint 3 is a tile-matching game infused with RPG, kinda like Puzzle Quest for Nintendo DS. Unlike Bejeweled, however, this game only slides jewels horizontally and you can even tilt your iPad to shift gravity, giving it a more challenging play.

The RPG part of the game comes with raising your character with more power and health as his level goes up, which you dearly need in battling mystical enemies.

Developed by Openfeint Inc, Aurora Feint 3 is available to download for free in the iPad.

Foxconn Labor Disputes Far From Over

Despite Apple’s continuing confidence with Foxconn, the iPhone manufacturer cannot seem to get a break when it comes to dealing with its usual issue: the working conditions of its employees. And we are not just talking about Foxconn’s plants in China, as its workers in Brazil have complained big time as well.

Hong Kong-based activist group Information Center for Human Rights (ICHR) reported on Friday that an around 200 workers from Foxconn’s Wuhan City facility demanded higher salaries. So much so that they climbed up to the factory’s roof and threatened to jump all together to their death if their demands were not met. The police responded to the strike and the workers, well, they went back to their shift.

A representative of Foxconn told Reuters that there wasn’t any kind of strike, claiming that the workers involved in the ruckus were new to the plant. He added that the dispute has already been settled. ICHR, however, told Reuters that the workers who threatened to go Suicide Club had to take drastic measures because they were earning less in Foxconn Wuhan compared to their previous jobs.

Meanwhile, around 2,500 workers at Foxconn’s factory in Jundiai, Brazil, have been complaining about sub-human conditions such as overcrowded shuttles, bad food, and lack of water. The reportedly met with executives last Monday to raise concerns, demanding that their employer resolve the issues within 10 days.

Local reports indicated that Foxconn’s disputes with its Brazilian employees began when it hired over 1,000 more employees without increasing the transport infrastructure to accommodate the new hires. Also, Foxconn has supposedly hired water trucks to deliver water for its employees. Could this be a sign that the factory lacks running water?

A representative for the disgruntled employees said they were “optimistic that an amicable solution could be reached with Foxconn without resorting to a strike.”

Source: Reuters and Apple Insider, via Tom’s Hardware

Shocker! Apple Planned to Add Physical Keyboard on iPhone

Back in the day when BlackBerrys were the coolest phones in the planet, Apple was struggling about what to do if they add mobile phone features on their iPod. One option, apparently, was to give the device a physical keyboard just like the BB phone.

Shocking, I know.

The revelation came from Tony Fadell, a former Apple engineer and founder of learning thermostat company Nest. In an interview with The Verge, he revealed that Apple had three design options with its iPod-phone, one of which involved adding a hardware keyboard. We can guess that it would have been a keyboard that slides out of the phone, much like many smartphones today.

The report sparked a lot of questions. What if Apple indeed added a keyboard on what would have been the first iPhone? Would another company becomes the first to create the first touch-screen smartphone? Would Apple have patented the hardware keyboard, even if other phones already have them, and sue everybody else including RIM (the maker of BlackBerry)? Would Apple’s fanboys diss other smartphones with full touch-screens simply because they do not have keyboards like the iPhone?

We could only imagine.

Source: The Verge, via CNET

Cube Lets You Play Using Google Maps

Google has just rolled out Cube, a 3D game that teaches players about the functions of Google Maps as you roll a blue ball through mazes of major cities.

There are eight levels in the game, each making use of features found on Maps such as cycling paths, traffic flow, and even sales within certain shopping establishments. The only rule here is to move the ball using your mouse cursor, weaving through streets and alleys until it reaches its destination.

The game culminates on the eighth and final level, where the cube maze switches maps as the ball reaches its goal until it settles on its fifth destination.

Cube is free-to-play and does not require downloading. Try beating its all-time fastest game, clocking in at around 2 minutes 15 seconds.

Source: Ubergizmo

Griffin SmartTalk Solar Speakerphone

Image Source: Griffin Technology

Speakerphones make it easy for drivers to answer calls while traveling on the road. It helps them keep their eyes on the road instead of trying to work with their mobile phones when answering calls and be a danger risk on the road. Devices like the Griffin SmartTalk Solar Speakerphone can help prevent this and also may be considered as eco-friendly by being powered by solar energy.

The new Griffin SmartTalk Solar Handsfree Speakerphone has easy to use features that make it easy to use when inside the car. It can automatically pair up with paired smartphones via its motion sensing Auto Connect feature. It is also capable of being paired with two smartphones simultaneously. It also operates a one touch button when trying to answer and make calls.

The Griffin SmartTalk Solar also features support for voice commands for smartphones that have it. It also has its own solar panel built-in that charges the unit’s own rechargeable batteries to help power the speakerphone for extended use even while on the road. The device can also be window mounted on the car to be able to make optimum use of the sun’s rays to power its batteries. The new Griffin SmartTalk Solar Speakerphone is now available at Griffin Technology for US$70.

Flick Kick Field Goal iPhone App Review

Image Source: Apple App Store

The National Football League just recently concluded its Annual Draft for new football players out of the different colleges and universities in the country. While the excitement may have somehow simmered down and the fans eagerly awaiting NFL’s next season this September, people can still enjoy football by playing games on their iPhone like the Flick Kick Field Goal iPhone Game App.

The Flick Kick Field Goal iPhone Game App is a simple yet engaging field goal kicking game. Players become the kickers for a football team. The same as the actual kickers in the game, the player has to consider factors like angles and wind speed and direction to make that perfect kick that sends the ball through and in between the goal posts and score.

Flick Kick Field Goal also features multiple game modes for a variety of challenges for the player. It comes with Sudden Death, Arcade, Time Attack and Practice Modes. With a realistic football  stadium setting and 3D graphics, the Flick Kick Field Goal iPhone Game app is a simple and yet addicting game for those who wish to get that football fever going up until the September season opening. This game app is available at the Apple App Store for a $1 download.

GodFinger All-Stars iPad App Review

God games are arguably one of the easiest apps to play. You do nothing but play god and control your minions as you please. However, a lot of god games lose their charms in the long run. GodFinger All-Stars by plus+ tries to disprove that notion and then some.

The game enables you, the god, to interfere with your subjects in great detail. Stun your followers with awe and terror, send them leaping through the heavens, and collect Follower Stars to power up your people. Follower Stars are created as you wow your minions with your wonders.

Another great feature of this app is how you can transform your planet according to your liking, such as turning deserts into lush plains, planting flowers, and flooding gullies. Players can also add Awe Points in form of in-app purchases.

GodFinger All-Stars can be downloaded for free on iTunes for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Connection to the Internet is required to play.

Ninjump HD iPad App Review

Sometimes, the game with the simplest instructions give the best experience. Take it from Ninjump HD, which was developed by Backflip Studios.

Your protagonist ninja does nothing but climb a pair of walls as high as he can, with only a tap of your finger (most preferably the thumb) to make him switch from one wall to the other. But it’s not that easy, as he needs to avoid obstacles and enemies ranging from blue birds, quick squirrels, and enemy ninjas. You can defeat the animals and the weapons thrown by ninjas (like stars and bombs) by slashing them as you jump–which he does anyway. Collect three of the same enemies and the ninja receives mega-jump bonuses, as well as shields to protect him from one hit.

Despite the simplicity of gameplay, Ninjump HD introduces gorgeous graphics, immersive soundtrack, and an addictive quality. If there is something to complain about this app, it would be how the shield’s effect does not accumulate as you collect more of it.

Ninjump HD is available for free on iTunes.

Etch Light Web Lamp

Image Source: Tom Dixon

Lamps basically provide light to make a room brighter. But they can also help transform the mood in the room with the use of light. One example is this Etch Light Web Lamp which plays with shadows to create an interesting web of shapes in any room.

The Etch Light Web lamp is a unique lamp designed by Tom Dixon and has recently been exhibited at the Milan Design Week. This lamp is quite large with a 65cm or 25 inches wide shade made from a geometrical copper anodized aluminum sphere using a process called digital photo-acid etching. In the middle of the sphere is a bright LED bulb that provides the light source. But it is not just the light that gets the attention for this lamp. It’s the geometrical shadows that are formed by the large sphere circling the light. It certainly creates a web of geometrical structures that forms around the whole room. The Etch Light Web Lamp has recently been introduced as part of the Luminosity exhibit for Milan Design Week at MOST Salone. No word yet has been provided how much it will cost.

USB Power Strip

Image Source: ThinkGeek

With USB portable devices getting more and more popular, it seems that getting them charged has become an increasing challenge. The number of USB ports available in laptops no longer is enough to charge all those USB devices, especially when on the road. What one would really need is a gadget like this USB Power Strip.

The USB Power Strip is a convenient power charger for those USB charged portable devices. It comes with 4 available USB slots where device owners can charge their portable devices when they need to. There’s no need to look for available USB slots on the handy notebook or laptop during trips or vacations to charge the other devices. The USB Power Strip will provide the ready slots for them. It is available at ThinkGeek for US$10.

Image Source: ThinkGeek

Jetpack Joyride iPad Game App Review

Jetpack Joyride is a new and exciting game from Halfbrick Studios, the same developers that made the highly popular Fruit Ninja. But instead of cutting up flying fruits with a katana, this new game features a game character named Barry Steakfries. Not only that, this game involves Barry suiting up jet packs to move around in a one-way adventure.

In this game, Barry breaks into a secret laboratory to get the experimental jet packs off the hands of the evildoers and successfully escape. Players simply tap on the screen to make Barry and his jetpack fly and remove the fingers from the screen to descend. But there are also obstacles that Barry faces along the way as bullets, lasers, rainbows and even bubbles rain all around along with guided missiles and electricity fields. There are also other stuff that Barry can obtain along the way such as coins, power and speed boosters.

Over the course of the game, players can also upgrade to other jet packs that provide added features to make Barry’s adventure even more exciting. For those with the new iPad, this game now provides Retina support, making gameplay even more unique. The Jetpack Joyride iPad Game App is available at the Apple App Store for free download.

iHome iP4 iPhone FM Stereo Boombox

Image Source: iHome

The appeal of those boomboxes from the 80’s is still alive today. While most people have moved on to having pocket-sized portable media players and smartphones, there may still be others that want to bring back those boomboxes back, if only to reminisce of the times gone by. The new iHome iP4 iPhone FM Stereo Boombox may help bring back those times but upgraded to the technologies of today.

The new iHome iP4 iPhone FM Stereo Boombox is not an actual classic boombox for the purists out there. It is actually an iPhone or iPod speaker dock that can help produce big sounds similar to those boomboxes of old. It is designed to closely look like a classic boombox but with that upgrade twist.

This re-imagined boombox features a pair of 4″ carbon composite woofers along with 1″ ferro fluid cooled tweeters. This updated boombox also features SRS TruBass digital signal processing technology and a 5 band graphic equalizer with LCD display. It also comes with an FM radio along with an auxiliary line in jack for use with other more “classic” devices. The iHome iP4 iPhone Stereo Boombox is now available at iHome and costs around US$200.

Nemo Helio Pressure Shower

Image Source: Nemo Equipment

When enjoying the outdoors on a camping trip, it is understandable that people should be “roughing it” and makes do with only the most basic of necessities. But what would one would truly like to have along with the trip is getting that daily shower which for the most part is non-existent when going outdoors. But not anymore, especially if you have this Nemo Helio Pressure Shower along for the trip.

The Nemo Helio Pressure Shower can help provide campers with the means to take warm showers even when going outdoors. This portable shower kit comes with an 11-liter collapsible water tank connected to a foot pump that helps regulate water pressure. When filled up, the Helio Pressure Shower is able to provide from 5 to 7 minutes of water pressure, more than enough for a good shower provided for by a connected 7-foot hose with a spray nozzle at the end.

The Helio Pressure Shower’s water can be heated by virtue of heat from the sun. The Eco-PU Coated Polyester, TPU and neoprene tubing makes this portable shower kit durable as well as light enough to bring along on that next camping trip. It can also be used not only as a shower but also for washing dishes at the campsite or even by giving your pet a bath. The Helio Pressure Shower is expected to be available sometime in June of this year at Nemo Equipment. There’s no word yet on how much it will cost.

Logo Quiz Game iPhone App Review

Image Source: Apple App Store

iPhone game apps now come in many shapes and levels of fun. But some of them can also be quite informative as well. There’s the iPhone game app like the Logo Quiz Game that takes players into a fun journey of recall over those iconic and popular logos that has been etched into the mindset of many people.

The Logo Quiz Game for the iPhone is a simple and yet engaging game that gets players into guessing the different logos being presented but with a certain twist. The logos are not presented in their complete form. The logos have some of parts blanked or left out, making players trying to recall what the partly drawn logo is. Gameplay comes into several levels, with each one having a certain number of logos to guess from. Hints are also provided to help players recall the logo with different info connected with it. The Logo Quiz Game app for the iPhone is a simple and yet addicting game, especially for those who like to recalling a popular and familiar logo used by different companies from all over the world. It is available at the Apple App Store for free download.

“Draw Something” Usage on a Downward Trend

Source: Business Insider, via The Atlantic

Just over a month ago, reports claimed that Draw Something was the most popular mobile game in the world. But in the world where new apps are introduced every week, it seems the latest Zynga acquisition is losing steam quickly.

Using a third-party chart maker, Business Insider checks in on the number of people actively using Draw Something and notices a worrisome downward trend. As of May 1, the average number of active users per day is at 10.2 million, lower than when when Zynga acquired the game. Meanwhile, monthly average users–those who play occasionally, but not all the time–remain steady, but it is declining slowly settling at 35.3 million users as of May Day.

Although the AppData client tracks users via Facebook logins, which Draw Something does not require, Business Insider claims it is a “pretty good directional measurement.”

“Like most one-hit wonders, fans got bored and moved on,” wrote Dashiell Bennett for The Atlantic, which reported the so-called “decline and fall” of the app.

It is interesting to note that Draw Something’s popularity peaked as soon as Zynga bought the game and the employees of the game’s former company OMGPOP for $200 million. While it is easy to compare the game’s popularity to Angry Birds, the latter’s upgradeable levels and expanding challenges keeps it on top of the apps charts for over a year, while Draw Something collapsed as soon as it peaked.

And if Zynga does not act quickly, it may be left holding the bag.

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover For iPad

Image Source: Logitech

With the Apple iPad becoming a popular device that more and more people use for various reasons, they begin to garner a more valuable part of daily life. And by becoming even more valuable and necessary, iPads need to be well protected. The new Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover not only does that, but also provides a wireless keyboard with it.

The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for the Apple iPad is a super thin screen cover that doubles as a wireless keyboard for the Apple iPad. It is made out of ultrathin aluminum to provide added protection to your iPad’s display screen, especially when moving around. But this cover also comes with a Bluetooth wireless keyboard that can be used along with the tablet.

The protective cover attaches to the iPad with a secure magnetic clip. It also turns off the tablet automatically when closed and open it when opened. The design makes it an ideal addition for your iPad, for some added protection if not for the added wireless keyboard. The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is now available at Logitech for US$100.

Uguard.Me iPhone Protective Skin

Image Source: Uguard.Me

Most iPhone cases provide some level of protection to the device. But unfortunately, they also alter the way the iPhone looks, which some users don’t usually like as well. There are also other alternatives available like the Uguard.Me iPhone Protective Skin.

The Uguard.Me iPhone Protective Skin provides a full guard protection for the Apple iPhone 4. But it comes with a sticky protective material made out of a special resin material. It provides users with a better grip of their iPhones. It also has a level of adhesive property that allows users to stick it onto a flat surface like a glass window without falling off. The protective skin can also easily be peeled off the smartphone without leaving any sticky residue on the device. The Uguard.Me iPhone Protective Skin is available at the Uguard.Me site for around 15 Euros or US$20.

Tiny Wings iPhone Game App Review

Image Source: Apple App Store

Games need not be that complicated in order to get people interested enough to play them. Sometimes, it is the simplest games that get people to play them for hours and hours. One of the fitting examples of such games is the Tiny Wings game app for the iPhone.

Tiny Wings is a simple game that tries to players to enjoy with only the simplest of controls. It involves a small bird dreaming to fly but has tiny wings. The best the bird can do is fly short distances. But with the help of rolling hills on the landscape, it may just make its dream to fly come true along with the help of the player. The objective of the game is simple- get the bird to fly by timing its flight taking off on a hill’s incline.

Tiny Wings may probably have the simplest game controls out of the many game apps out there. It all requires a touch on the screen as the sole control feature. But playing it may be far from simple. It requires timing on touching the screen in order for the bird to take off from an incline and reach long distance flight. There are coins and bonus items to retrieve along the way. But the primary objective is for the bird to travel from one island to another as far as possible before nighttime comes.

This game app is quite enjoyable in all its simplicity. The procedural graphics that the app uses allows for different landscape setting every time one plays the game. Tiny Wings is available for the iPhone at the Apple App Store for a $1 download.

Studio Voigt Dietrich Book Table

Image Source: Studio Voigt Dietrich

For most people, having interesting furniture around the house is always a must. Furniture should be like art, a conversation piece that people should find appealing and worth checking out again and again. The Book Table by Studio Voigt Dietrich may be one such furniture.

The Studio Voigt Dietrich Book Table is a furniture concept that takes a different perspective of what a book table should be. It is designed to be diamond shaped when upright instead of the usual square shape that most tables should have been. But this design takes some added function that avid book readers would find useful.

The Book Table by Studio Voigt Dietrich contains hollow space within its diamond shaped top that serves as an ideal book shelve to store books in. The pointed top serves as a place to put an open book upside down, doubling as a fitting bookmark as well. One edge also is fitted with a level flat surface where users can place a drink or other items as well. The Studio Voigt Dietrich Book Table provides a different and unique take on what a book table should be. It is a design concept for now and not necessarily designed for commercial production.

Beoplay A3 iPad Speaker Dock

iPad Speakers and docks usually offer the same features one after the other. It seems that they all seem alike once you’ve seen a few of them in the market. But there are some unique ones out there like the Beoplay A3 iPad Speaker Dock by Bang and Olufsen is something that would fit into the needs of those who require better sound quality from their iPad tablet, no matter the cost. It features a unique dock for the iPad that has the tablet inserted into the speaker housing, making it look like a single device. What this speaker dock offers is a 2.1 speaker system with 3 half inch tweeters and a 2-inch subwoofer. It also has a Class D amplifier and a rechargeable battery that is good for up to 5 hours of playing time.

But what makes the Beoplay A3 also interesting is that it also has Adaptive Stereo Orientation features. The speakers automatically adapts to the orientation of how the iPad stands, ensuring that the users gets the best stereo sound experience, be it in landscape or portrait mode. The Beoplay A3 iPad Speaker Dock is now available but comes at a steep price of around US$730.

Image Source: Beoplay

BlackBerry PlayBook LTE Edition Planned; Developers Wanted

Research in Motion’s newly-installed CEO announced during the company’s annual conference that they are planning to come up with an LTE version of the BlackBerry PlayBook later this year.

The Canadian Reviewer reported that the new tablet will be equipped with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and a near-field communication (NFC) chip. It will also feature HTML 5 and Adobe Flash support. The report did not state whether the PlayBook 2 will run in RIM’s new operating system BB10, which the company hopes would pull them back from the red.

RIM is now looking for developers who would help out in building the RIM app market. It entices developers with a $10,000 incentive in their first year on the app store or RIM will cut a check for the balance.

Developers are not easy to please, however, as they need to be convince that the PlayBook will have a significant reach as iOS or Android. Also, RIM needs to decide whether to cater the next PlayBook to the enterprise customers (BlackBerry’s bread-and-butter market) or to the larger consumer market.

The first edition of the PlayBook debuted in May 2011 with lukewarm reviews and slow sales. RIM released an updated version in February, adding in features users complained it lacked like a native e-mail client and more ways for the tablet to interact with BlackBerry phones.

Samsung Series 9 Ultrabooks to Receive Ivy Bridge Upgrades

A listing on Samsung’s UK website reveals that its highly-acclaimed Series 9 ultrabooks will be upgraded with Intel’s Ivy Bridge microarchitecture. The upcoming 15-inch laptop, with its 1600 x 900 resolution screen, will feature an 1.7GHz Intel Core i5 3317U processor, which will work alongside an improved HD 4000 graphics card and a HM75 Express chipset. The laptop will also get an RAM bump from 4GB to 8GB, while its solid-state drive will remain at 128GB.

Reviews have been all praises for this ultrabook series, even with its yesteryear’s chipsets. Imagine how the laptops will fare with improved hardware, all while maintaining its slim profile and roomy screen.

No word on the availability and pricing of the improved Samsung Series 9 Ultrabook. However, judging by its current model expect a price range of $1,400 to $1,500.

Source: Samsung UK, via PC World

Samsung Unveils Galaxy S III; Comes with Facial Recognition Tech

Photo credit: Abe Olandres at Interaksyon

Samsung has just unveiled the latest version of its flagship smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy S III, unveiled at an event in London just minutes ago, features face recognition technology and a much faster quad-core processor that allows users to watch videos and write messages at the same time.

Samsung’s President and Head of IT and Mobile Communications, JK Shin, revealed the device in front of thousands in attendance. The Samsung Galaxy S III will feature a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, an 8-megapixel camera, and a slimmed-down profile at 8.6mm thickness and 133 grams in weight.

The Galaxy S3 will come with a more user-centric experience, such as the ability to keep its screen on as you look at it and autocalling your textmate once you put the phone on your ear. It also has a Siri-like voice command program called S Voice that Shin insists can understand a variety of accents including American, British, Australian, and even Korean English.

The smartphone will be equipped with NFC, but not just for mobile payment. Shin explains that this technology would enable the Galaxy S III to share content with other users of Galaxy and Ice Cream Sandwich-powered smartphones.

The Suwon-based chaebol hopes this smartphone would fight a good fight with Apple, which is expected to reveal its new version of the iPhone this year.

Source: Wall Street Journal and Interaksyon on Twitter

Microsoft to Sell $99 Xbox 360 Bundle

Want a brand-new Xbox 360 for a dirt cheap price? It is possible! Microsoft will release an Xbox 360 bundle that costs only $99.

The single-Benjamin bundle will consist of a 4GB Xbox 360 console (not a lot of storage, I know), a Kinect sensor, and a two-year subscription to Xbox Live Gold. And as expected with a promo this cheap, this bundle would require owners to shell out a $15 monthly fee for the service. Gamers with regular online gameplay features, as well as extra content from cable providers.

Adding the two-year fee, the bundle would cost $459 in total, which is quite a lot compared to the $418 price tag for the similar bundle when purchased outright. Pick your poison, I guess.

Should you choose to cut the Xbox Live Gold service before the two-year period is up, Microsoft will charge you an early termination fee. The exact amount remains unclear, but expect it to be pretty hefty.

The $99 Xbox 360 bundle is expected to launch as early as next week.

Source: The Verge, via Daily Tech

RIM: Future BlackBerry Phones to Have Physical Keys Despite Full Touchscreen

Despite what RIM announced that upcoming BlackBerry models running on BB 10 operating system will come in full touchscreens, the Canada-based smartphone maker squashed down rumors that its future phones will not use physical keyboards.

“It would be wrong–just plain wrong,” RIM’s CEO Thorsten Heins said. This statement comes despite the future BB phones having a virtual keyboard, as confirmed in a prototype Heins unveiled just this week.

Some reports suggested RIM does not want to enrage its loyal users who like the feeling of physical keys as they twiddle their thumbs.

The question, however, is whether the new BlackBerry phones would be able to keep up with its Android and iOS counterparts.

Source: Washington Post

Triple Town iPad App Review

Take a simple puzzle game and infuse it with complex city-building sensibilities. That is what Triple Town looks like in a nutshell.

Triple Town by Spry Fox allows players to turn their settlement into an empire in just a 6 x 6 grid. The map starts with a random design, wherein you need to place three or more of the same game pieces together to transform it into a single evolved piece. For instance, combine three grass patches to create a bush; match three bushes to make a tree; put three trees together to build a house and so on. It is not that easy, though, as bears roam around to block your squares.

The great thing about Triple Town is that it is played like chess: you need to think ahead before placing your game piece. Each piece you place is determined randomly (including the bears) with no way of knowing what you will get next. The game is over once you have filled your grid with tombstones (which you create by trapping bears), and other non-matching pieces.

The game give you a limited amount of moves. Once emptied and your game is not over, wait for several hours until it the move bar is completely replenished or buy moves with free coins that you earn in-game. You can also opt for a one-time purchase of $3.99 for unlimited moves for life.

Triple Town is available for free on iTunes.

Tiny Tower iPhone App Review

Look at it as a city-building game like CityVille in just a single building! Tiny Tower is a charming and enjoyable game app that lets you build a tiny skyscraper and manage the businesses and citizens that inhabit it.

The game starts with you in control of the tower, with each floor being either a residential block or a business. The building’s citizen–or “Bitizens” as they are called–can mill about on each business floor and only five of them can live in a residential floor. They also leave messages every now and them on the in-game “Bitbook” social network, wherein they provide updates with irresistible cheerful yapping. The Bitizen are also a hungry lot, as you have to feed them with sushi at certain times.

While each Bitizen can staff any shop in the tower, who you put in what job provide varying degrees of success. The goal is to assign each Bitizen to his or her “dream job,” which would yield three Tower Bux. This in-app currency can be used to speed up the in-game processes such as restocking a shop or constructing a new floor, which takes longer the higher you go. While you earn very little Bux in the game, you can buy loads of Tower Bux through in-app purchases, which cost a lot.

Tiny Tower by NimbleBit is available for the iPhone and iPad for free. Meanwhile, its Tower Bux package are available for as low as $0.99 for 10 Bux and as much as $29.99 for 1,000 Bux.

Beat Sneak Bandit iPad Game App

There are games on your iPad that lets you play with music. There are also games that let you play with puzzles and mazes that you have to go through. And then, there are games like the Beat Sneak Bandit that lets you do both.

The Beat Sneak Bandit for the iPad gets players to play along with the beat of the music when solving interesting mazes. The premise of the game is for the Beat Sneak Bandit to retrieve the clocks stolen by the villainous Duke Clockface. But it gets even trickier. There are guards inside the Duke’s house, not to mention the trapdoors, security lights and other contraptions that the Bandit has to avoid to retrieve the clocks. And most of all, the Bandit must move according to the beat of the tune playing when moving.

The Beat Sneak Bandit’s game play is quite unique in that it integrates rhythm, music and puzzles in the playing experience. Control is simply tapping on the screen. But it should be done in time with the beat of the music playing. Quite an interesting and fun concept for a game to play with on an iPad tablet, the Beat Sneak Bandit is available at the Apple App Store for a $3 download.

Image Source: Apple App Store

Logitech Solar Keyboard Folio

It seems that the iPad tablet has become quite valuable that some level of protection may be needed for it. Logitech has come up with some iPad accessories such as the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover that not only protects the tablet’s touch screen display when not in use but also provides a wireless physical keyboard as well. This time, they added a solar panel to it to come up with the Logitech Solar Keyboard Folio.

The Logitech Solar Keyboard Folio is an iPad accessory that not only protects your tablet but also provides a wireless Bluetooth keyboard to it as well. The built-in keyboard is powered by on board solar panels that can charge in both outdoor and indoor light. The folio also acts as a stand for the iPad, placing it in upright position when typing as well as when watching videos on the tablet. The Logitech Solar Keyboard Folio is now available at Logitech in both the US and in Europe. It suggested price tag is said to be around US$130.

Image Source: Logitech

LG Unveils Optimus LTE2, Hopes to Steal Galaxy S3’s Thunder

As Samsung unleashed its Galaxy S III in London, its Korean rival did not let Sammy get all the limelight.

LG came out with its latest smartphone. The Optimus LTE2 comes with 2GB of RAM, something we have yet to see in other smartphones. The device also sports LG’s “True HD IPS” display, WPS-backed wireless battery charging capabilities, Android 4.0, and a 2,150mAh battery that gives more juice to its life by as much as 40 percent.

A lot of details were not revealed though, such as which processor will be used. Reports speculate that it has to be a quad-core CPU to complement the astounding amount of RAM.

The LG Optimus LTE2 is due to arrive in at least three carriers in South Korea at around mid-May. Nothing set in stone yet regarding pricing or availability in other countries.

Source: LG Korea, via Engadget

Yahoo! CEO Accused of Resume Padding

Yahoo, the Internet pioneer that has definitely seen better days, has been forced to admit that its newest CEO, Scott Thompson (pictured), has a bloated resume.

While Thompson’s credentials include a degree in “accounting and computer science” from Stonehill College near Boston, the truth is that Stonehill began offering computer science degrees four years after the CEO graduated. Instead, Thompson graduated with a degree in accounting, along with what reports claim could be a single course unit called Introduction to Computer Science.

The revelation has angered Daniel Loeb, one of Yahoo’s shareholders and founder of activist hedge fund Third Point LLC, who wrote a letter of complaint to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“If Mr Thompson embellished his academic credentials we think that it 1) undermines his credibility as a technology expert and 2) reflects poorly on the character of the CEO who has been tasked with leading Yahoo! at this critical juncture,” the letter reads. “Now more than ever Yahoo! investors need a trustworthy CEO.”

The discovery of the discrepancies could be what Loeb wanted, as he has been campaigning to get rid of the current Yahoo! board of directors and replace them with new members–him included.

A spokesperson for Yahoo, however, said that this is really not worth the bother. The company will continue to bank on Thompson’s capability. Apparently, Yahoo would like to point out that anyone can make mistakes.

Source: TG Daily

Barnes and Noble Partners with Microsoft

The tech world has been abuzz about the announced partnership of Microsoft with Barnes & Noble. The Redmond-based software giant is set to invest in a five-year period at least $605 million in a newly-established subsidiary (temporarily called “Newco”), which houses B and N’s Nook e-reader and college textbook businesses.

The relationship would be beneficial to both parties. While it would open the Nook maker to international markets, it also signals a start of Microsoft’s venture into a new market.

“We wanted a great technology partner and obviously deep pockets that can help us properly capitalize. Microsoft was the ideal partner in all those areas,” Barnes and Noble CEO William Lynch unabashedly told Fortune about why his company decided to work with Microsoft.

Lynch also revealed about what the future holds for the Nook, which has risen to a value of $1.7 billion since two years ago. One such update is the inclusion of NFC technology to the Nook, which may (or may not) roll out within this year.

“We can work with the publishers so they would ship a copy of each hardcover with an NFC chip embedded with all the editorial reviews they can get on BN.com. And if you had your Nook, you can walk up to any of our pictures, any our aisles, any of our bestseller lists, and just touch the book, and get information on that physical book on your Nook and have some frictionless purchase experience. That’s coming, and we could lead in that area.”

The CEO, however, did not delve in detail on whether will Nook will ditch its open-source software and embrace Windows 8. He does, however, acknowledged Microsoft’s leadership in authoring tools (i.e. Office).


Source: Fortune

Epiphany Eyewear Can Record Your Life, Share Your Memories

While Google is said to be developing a pair of augmented reality eyeglasses, the dudes on Vergence Lab would rather keep it simpler. Its Buddy Holly-style spectacles, branded as Epiphany Eyewear, would enable the wearer to record videos in a first-person point-of-view and share the clips on a social network of choice. These geeky glasses also shifts into sunglasses in an instant, thanks to its “chromatic shifting conductive” lenses.

A creation of Jon Rodriguez and Erick Miller, the Epiphany Eyewear is being funded through Kickstarter, where the two first met. You will receive your very own pair for a pledge of at least $199 (as long as the $50,000 project gets fully funded), which is expected to be sold on retail for $299.

Get to know more about the technical details of Vergence Lab’s computing-enabled eyewear on Kickstarter.

Source: TechCrunch

Floating Cloud God Saves the Pilgrims PlayStation 3 Game Review

PlayStation recently introduced a new gaming category called Minis, which are supposed to a bunch of titles with simple gameplay and compatible with three of Sony’s consoles, in contrast to the console’s grand scale of RPGs and fighting games. One Mini game developer, Dakko Dakko, has been making a kill in this niche category after introducing The 2D Adventures of Rotating Octopus Character.

Now it has another PlayStation Mini in the bag called Floating Cloud God Saves the Pilgrims. The game is a 2D shooter built around the player-controlled deity and his quest to protect eight pilgrims through each stage.

Shooting the floating enemies seem easy, until they being to attack your pilgrims who serve as the game’s de facto health bar. The game is over once all pilgrims turn into spirits.

The more enemies the god eliminates, the more “love” the pilgrims give, which the god collects for more powerful attacks. The trick is to let the hearts grow as you chain blast more enemies; but they will disappear quickly if things go quiet. Once the hearts are at its largest, gobble them all up to unleash a fiery wrath on a mini-boss.

Each enemy has its own scheming ways. Paper lanterns spew arcing flames, red-eyed foxes hide in the scenery, imps swoop to snatch poor pilgrims, and bobbing doll heads send out swarms of deadly kisses.

The game looks simple, but its gameplay is very addictive. You can restart the game at any time, especially if you cannot bear to see just one pilgrim fall.

Floating Cloud God Saves the Pilgrims will soon be available on the PlayStation Store, with an expected 2.99 euro price tag.

Pop Video iPhone Projector

Image Source: Pop Video

The popular Apple iPhone has become an all-around device for most people. Not only is it a mobile phone, most owners use it as a media player as well as a portable device to surf the Web. It is also a digital camera and a storage device as well. And as people would want to share its contents more and more, this new Pop Video iPhone Projector can also add to the popular smartphone’s many features.

The Pop Video iPhone Projector is a portable pico projector that iPhone owners can use conveniently with their device. This 3.5 ounce projector can easily be attached to the iPhone or iPod via a retractable 30-pin connector. Once attached, it is able to display video at iPhone’s full 960 x 540 resolution. It has enough power for up to 2 hours of continuous use, more than enough to share those video clips or even a full length movie stored in your iPhone. The Pop Video iPhone Projector is available at Pop Video for US$100.