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- Preview: Dead Space 3 will feature optional 'dungeons'
- World of Warcraft Mists of Pandaria Releasing September 25th
- Club Nintendo updates their stash, adds Bonsai Barber
- DLF Pramerica Life launches `Income Rakshak' plan
- Future Generali India Insurance to pay Rs 10L accident compensation
- Tor Project Considers Paying Users $100/mo. For Operating High-Speed Tor Relays
- HBO On Netflix? Not A Chance, Says HBO
- Cisco Workers Brace for Another Round of Job Cuts
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Avoids German Court's Ban Hammer, Galaxy Tab 7.7 Not So Lucky
- Tough Crowd: Apple Posts $8.8 Billion Profit, Falls Short of Analysts' Expectations
| Preview: Dead Space 3 will feature optional 'dungeons' Posted: 25 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT Dungeons are typically optional areas in videogames where players can explore for treasures, and fight against all sorts of danger. Usually you think of titles such as Zelda, The Elder Scrolls, and any number of role-playing games when dungeons are brought up, right? So imagine my surprise when Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer on Dead Space 3, let me go hands-on with their take on a dungeon recently. You'll come across multiple dungeons throughout Dead Space 3's story, full of goodies that will add more to the overall experience, and satisfy OCD completionists. These dungeons are also completely optional, so you can blow right past them if you're looking to get straight through the overall story. Dead Space 3 (PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 [Previewed]) The particular dungeon I went through was called the Lost Flotilla, and takes place in the first act of Dead Space 3. This optional section is set aboard a spaceship within a ship graveyard above the ice planet Tau Volantis. The demo was restricted within the spaceship, but we were able to get a quick peek at the surrounding space. There were ships and debris all over the place, and you'll be able to traverse the environment through Zero G exploration. Dungeons will typically average from 30 to 60 minutes in length, and will be filled with items, ammo, treasures, additional story content, and of course, plenty of monstrous Necromorphs. Steve Papoutsis told me that the purpose of the dungeons is to "create a deeper experience for people." The traditional gameplay is still there, but now players are "able to go and explore off the beaten track and actually have areas like this that will provide extra opportunities for loot, more backstory, more logs, and things like that. So really, it extends the experience for those people that really kind are those hunter gatherers that want to collect everything." Like the main game itself, you'll be able to explore these areas by yourself or do it with a buddy through the drop in/out co-op. In fact, there will be some dungeons only available when you're playing co-op as it relates more to Carver, the second playable character's backstory. Of course, as this is a Dead Space game, you have to fix something that's broken down. The Lost Flotilla is running low on power, so you have to find a way to get the ship powered up. Because of this, part of the level sees you manually opening doors with telekinesis to spin the locking mechanism on each door. Simple puzzles are around too, and one section required me to flip several switches on a circuit breaker in order to progress. Visceral also gave us a taste of the weapon crafting system, which allows you to merge weapons together. In this case, I was wielding a Line Gun with its alt fire being the Ripper chainsaw gun. A great combo, especially as I rarely use the Ripper on its own normally. You'll be able to craft different weapon combos through the new weapon crafting workbench, and more details on that will be coming next month. The spaceship had that tight corridor feel going on, with the usual Necromorph attacks happening from any number of directions. Because of that, I never felt the need to use the new roll or crouch feature. I think those abilities will be better used for the big boss fights, or the new human soldiers you'll be running into. My time with Dead Space 3 was far too short, and the setting for the demo wasn't the most idle when it comes to properly judging a survival horror title. While the section I played certainly had that Dead Space feel you're used to, I can't really state much more beyond that. I definitely need to get some proper hands-on time with the co-op, and some of the more outdoor environments to truly see how much Visceral is shaking up the series. At the very least, I love that dungeons are being added to the game. I typically replay Dead Space games three times over for the story, and because I want to upgrade Isaac and his weapons to full power. Dead Space 3's new dungeons are definitely another incentive to continue that habit.  |
| World of Warcraft Mists of Pandaria Releasing September 25th Posted: 25 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT  World of Warcraft's Mists of Pandaria will launch September 25th. The expansion will cost $39.99 USD and is currently available on battle.net. You can also upgrade to a Digital Deluxe Edition ($59.99 USD) and a Collector's Edition for $79.99 USD.  |
| Club Nintendo updates their stash, adds Bonsai Barber Posted: 25 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT
It looks like Club Nintendo's lineup of digital games really is going to be staggered going forward, as Mario Tennis has been replaced by Bonsai Barber on WiiWare for 150 coins. The game is normally $10, and is a fairly well regarded title, so this is actually a decent deal. When you look at Bonsai Barber, your first inclination may be to yell "SHOVELWARE," but it's actually a pretty decent game. If you have an open mind, and you're willing to drop 150 coins on a game for a system that will be replaced in a few months without a guaranteed digital transfer method, you can't really go wrong. Bonsai Barber [Club Nintendo]  |
| DLF Pramerica Life launches `Income Rakshak' plan Posted: 25 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT Private insurer DLF Pramerica Life Insurance (DPLI) today launched a new plan that helps supplement a family's monthly income and also provides protection.  |
| Future Generali India Insurance to pay Rs 10L accident compensation Posted: 25 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT The family members of a 21-year- old youth, who was crushed to death last year by a rashly driven tempo here, has been awarded a compensation of over Rs 10 lakhs by a MACT.  |
| Tor Project Considers Paying Users $100/mo. For Operating High-Speed Tor Relays Posted: 25 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT
The proposal was actually put forth by Tor founder Rodger Dingledine, who has been vociferously against paid relays for years. He recently dove into Tor data, however, and found that Tor clients -- which randomly connect to available exit relays -- connect to the five fastest available servers about a quarter of the time thanks to Tor's built-in load balancing. More capable connections get more Tor client attention, which makes sense from a congestion standpoint, but Dingledine worries that it could adversely affect the diversity of the overall Tor network. Dingledine suggests that by offering to pay a monthly fee to hosts who operate a high speed exit relay, more people may be inclined to offer their connection for Tor use. The more speedy relays there are, the more diversified the load balancing becomes, making the overall Tor use experience that much faster and more diverse. Of course, the plan will only work if it attracts people and organizations with high speed connections: to that end, Dingledine suggests offering $100/mo. to folks who can supply speeds of at least 100Mbps. (Other rates will also be considered.) To people who think the figure seems high, Dingledine offers the following: We should keep in mind that the primary cost of running an exit relay is effort, not dollars: it takes dedication to find an ISP who will host it, and to hold that ISP's hand when an abuse complaint arrives. Or said another way, hosting costs are in many cases not the biggest barrier to running an exit relay. The Tor Project has already lined up a backer for paid relays; the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the group behind the Voice of America website, has agreed to fund 125-plus fast exit relays over the next year once the details are hammered out. Dingledine warns that Tor can't become dependent on paid exit relays to the point that it crumbles if funding is yanked, however. You can read Dingledine's entire paid node proposal here. Be warned: it's long. Do you think the proposal for paying high-speed Tor server operators is a good idea, or do you think it could lead to the demise of Tor as we know it?  |
| HBO On Netflix? Not A Chance, Says HBO Posted: 25 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT
"We are not in discussions and have no plans to work with Netflix," Reuters reports HBO spokesman Jeff Cusson as saying. Ouch. So there you have it, cord-cutters; don't get your hopes up for on-demand True Blood anytime soon -- at least if you don't have HBO Go. And since you need an HBO subscription to access HBO Go, you wouldn't be a cord cutter if you had it. HBO's quibbles with Netflix are nothing new, and it isn't limited to streaming video. Earlier this year, HBO stopped giving Netflix a wholesale discount for DVDs of its shows, but only after Hastings publicly identified the premium movie station as Netflix's biggest rival. Oops!  |
| Cisco Workers Brace for Another Round of Job Cuts Posted: 25 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT
Less than hour after Cisco announced the planned layoffs, VMWare said it was acquiring Nicira for $1.26 billion. A Bloomberg report called the back-to-back announcements a "double whammy," noting that Nicira develops technology that lets businesses enjoy networking features without having to buy costly hardware. "VMware's purchase of Nicira underscores what may be an even bigger problem -- companies may simply not need as much Cisco gear," Bloomberg writes. Cisco, which had 65,223 workers as of May of this year, said in a statement that the job cuts "are part of a continuous process of simplifying the company, as well as assessing the economic environment in certain parts of the world." How many of those job cuts will affect the Bay Area is unknown at this time. Image Credit: Flickr (simonov) Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook
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| Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Avoids German Court's Ban Hammer, Galaxy Tab 7.7 Not So Lucky Posted: 25 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT
According to Foss Patents, a German appeals courts sided with Samsung and upheld a lower court's denial of a preliminary injunction Apple was seeking against the Galaxy Tab 10.1N, which is a slightly modified version of the original Galaxy Tab 10.1. At the same time, Apple won a preliminary injunction against the smaller Galaxy Tab 7.7, effectively banning sales of the device across the entire European Union. The reason for the discrepancy in rulings is because the Galaxy Tab 7.7 is essentially a smaller version of the original Galaxy Tab 10.1, not the modified 10.1N. Makes sense, but it comes as little consolation to Samsung. "Samsung is disappointed with the court's ruling," the company said in a statement, according to AllThingsD. "We will continue to take all available measures, including legal action, to protect our intellectual property rights and defend against Apple's claims to ensure our products remain available to consumers throughout the European Union." Venue also matters. Apple has been successful in banning sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 here in the U.S., but over the in U.K., a judge denied Apple's request and further ordered the company post a message on its website and take out ads in newspapers and magazines exonerating Samsung by declaring the Galaxy Tab doesn't copy the iPad's design. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook
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| Tough Crowd: Apple Posts $8.8 Billion Profit, Falls Short of Analysts' Expectations Posted: 25 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT
Investors have come to expect much from Apple, sometimes too much, so when the Cupertino company reported 'only' 26 million iPhone sales in Q3, Apple's share price promptly dipped more than 5 percent in after hours trading, The New York Times reports. Those iPhone sales represent a 28 percent unit growth over the same quarter last year, however they're well short of the 35 million iPhone devices Apple sold in the previous quarter. What that likely means is that consumers are already looking ahead to the iPhone 5, which is expected to launch this fall. "Our weekly iPhone sales continue to be impacted by rumors and speculation of future products," Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer told USAToday. Apple iPad sales are still going strong. The company sold 17 million iPad devices during the quarter, which is a whopping 84 percent increase over one year ago. It also sold 4 million Macs (2 percent unit increase year-over-year) and 6.8 million iPods (10 percent decline year-over-year). "We're thrilled with record sales of 17 million iPads in the June quarter," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "We've also just updated the entire MacBook line, will release Mountain Lion tomorrow and will be launching iOS 6 this Fall. We are also really looking forward to the amazing new products we've got in the pipeline." Looking ahead to the fourth quarter, Apple anticipates revenue of around $34 billion. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook
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For privacy-minded types and people in repressed parts of the world, Tor is a valuable tool. The anonymity-enabling onion routing service does have a few drawbacks, however, including its sometimes sub-optimal connection speeds. Tor's browsing speeds have gotten noticeably better over recent months and years, and the poor connections may disappear completely if a proposal that's currently under consideration is adopted: actually paying people and organizations with fast connections to act as a Tor exit relay.
Netflix's recent return to profits must have made CEO Reed Hastings a wee bit giddy; buried deep in the company's new earnings report was a paragraph that teased the possibility of a Netflix-HBO partnership. Will we someday be able to stream Game of Thrones? In a word: no. After the press circulated the speculation yesterday, HBO promptly released a statement squashing the rumor with extreme prejudice.
San Jose's networking kingpin Cisco is planning to hand out about 1,300 pink slips, which equates to 2 percent of its workforce, as it attempts to cope with a sluggish global economy and flat sales. The latest round of layoffs come just one year after Cisco announced 6,500 job cuts, but reducing jobs is not a cure-all to Cisco's problems, nor is a weak economy the only thing the company has to worry about.
If you're into sports, then you know how maddening it can be to see the referees penalize teams like crazy in one game, and then swallow their whistles in the next. That makes it hard for players and coaches to decipher the rules, which is exactly how Samsung must be feeling right about now. Not only are different courts around the world issuing opposite rulings in Samsung's patent fight with Apple, at least one is also factoring in the size of Samsung's devices, or so it seems.
Apple late Tuesday announced financial results for its fiscal 2012 third quarter ended June 30, 2012, and the numbers are nothing short of obscene. All those iDevices, app sales, and other products and services combined to rake in an $8.8 billion profit on quarterly revenue of $35 billion, compared to $7.3 billion profit on $28.6 billion in revenue during the same quarter one year ago. Nonetheless, analysts collectively shrugged their shoulders and said, 'Meh, it could have been better.'| You are subscribed to email updates from Home To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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